


Keeping Secrets Isn't Healthy

by slightly_salty_ace



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adoption, Angst, Avengers - Freeform, Bisexual Peter, Conspiracy, Family Bonding, Humor, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, M/M, Peter is 17, Stony - Freeform, Superfamily (Marvel), Takes place two years after homecoming, Team Bonding, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Trust Issues, classic spider-man villains, dad tony, lots of them - Freeform, slight spoilers for the movie, the avengers are back together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-11-29 06:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 91,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11434764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightly_salty_ace/pseuds/slightly_salty_ace
Summary: Tony Stark adopts Peter after his aunt is killed in an accident. Only, he doesn't tell any of the Avengers about the adoption. Two years later, and the team is starting to figure it out. Or so they think. More and more secrets are revealed as they dig deeper, and the Avengers are finding it just a bit more difficult to trust one another. New villains are on the rise, pushing the team ever closer to their limits.It isn't long after the team starts to fall apart that Peter goes missing.





	1. Panic Button

"You have a son?" Steve looked Tony dead in the eye. "You have a son. And you didn't tell any of us?" The entire team was gathered in the kitchen at the Avengers compound. They had all been having breakfast when Happy walked in, asking where 'the kid' was, and why he wasn't answering his phone. This prompted a lot of "what kid?" questions and Tony had no choice but to tell his teammates the truth. Happy quickly left the room, not wanting to be a part of what was about to go down.

"Adopted son. Adopted him two years ago from today, actually." Tony shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away.

"Why keep this a secret from us?" Steve asked, the hurt clear in his voice. It had been a bumpy road since their fight in Siberia, but Steve and Tony finally considered one another friends again.

"Can't believe you didn't tell me...I thought we were friends?" Rhodey looked at him in shock.

"You never asked," Tony shrugged. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to make another pot of coffee. Who wants some?"

"Tony. Don't change the subject. Why the hell would we ask if you had a child?" Steve sighed.

"I don't know. You ask about Clint's kids all the time."

"Because we know they exist," Bruce muttered. "Where is your kid, anyway?"

"Back in Queens. I think."

"You don't know where you son is?" Natasha leaned forward in her chair, "I can't believe anyone would even let you adopt a child."

"Okay. First, rude," Tony took a deep breath. "Second, Peter is almost 18. Sometimes he lives here, sometimes he lives at the tower, sometimes he stays with Ned, a buddy of his. Peter does his own thing. He'll show up somewhere eventually."

"Jesus, Tony!" Rhodey dropped his head into his hands, "this is no way to raise a child! What if something happened to him?"

"Nothing happened to him. And nothing will happen. He's more than capable of taking care of himself. Besides, I made him a suit, just in case."

Natasha clenched her fist. She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "You can't just give a child an Iron Man suit and expect everything to be fine. You better call your son right now-"

"I already did. Peter's fine," a new voice spoke from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Spider-man standing before them, hands on his hips. The wall crawler was the newest member of the team, having joined shortly after Tony took him in two years ago.

"You know about Peter? And you have his number?" Sam glared at Tony. "You trust bug boy with this and not us?"

"Actually, I knew Peter before he was adopted. We went to the same school," Spider-man said quickly. "He's with Ned, by the way. He'll be back later."

"What brings you here, Spidey?" Wanda asked. She still had tons of questions, but she was suspicious about why Spider-man was at the compound. It was a long way from Queens, and the wall-crawler only made the trek if they had a mission or meeting.

"Mr. Stark wanted to meet with me, something about my suit needing fixed?" Spider-man said. Happy had been blowing up his phone for the past few days, demanding that he come back to the compound. Spidey decided he should actually show up before Happy reached through the phone and strangled him.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. I need to put that tracker back in your suit. And you need to stop ripping it out," Tony grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the kitchen.

"I don't need you following my every move, Tony." Peter snapped at his adopted father.

"I'm not following you. Just making sure I can find you if you end up bleeding out in an alley somewhere." Tony muttered. Once they were in the lab Tony locked the doors and got to work on putting the tracker back in Peter's costume. "I guess it's time for Peter Stark to make an appearance..."

"I have to get back to Queens, I have finals tomorrow." Peter sat shirtless on a table, kicking his legs back and forth. Tony had his back to Peter, not letting him see where he put the tracker. The name Peter Stark repeated over and over in his head. Legally, his surname was now Parker-Stark. Although, everyone just shortened it to Stark. Peter still wrote 'Parker' on all his school work.

"This weekend then. Happy will pick you up."

"I can't. I...have band practice."

"You're not in band. Anyway, The Avengers are all up my ass about this. And they aren't going to leave me alone until they get answers. Happy will pick you up from school on Friday. End of discussion."

"Okay, dad," Peter said the last word as sarcastic as possible.

* * *

 

"Spidey! Wait up!" Peter had his hand on the door, about to make his escape when Wanda looped an arm around his shoulders. "Got a second?"

"Not really."

"Great, come with me," Wanda drug him to the lounge, where the rest of the Avengers were waiting. Minus Tony, who was hiding in his lab. "We just wanted to ask you a few questions-"

"Can you ask them later? I-I have to get back to work," Peter stammered. 

"Sit down, son," Steve forced him to take a seat in between Natasha and Clint.

"We just want to know more about Peter," Natasha explained, her voice calm, yet demanding.

"You should ask his dad, then. I don't know anything about him," Spider-man shifted around nervously, pulling one of his legs up and hugging his knee.

"That's not what you said earlier," Clint snorted. "You have his number on your phone, dude."

"Okay, I know him. He's a nice dude, with cool hair. And he helped make my suit. What else do you want to know?" Spidey huffed.

"Nice hair, huh? What are you, his boyfriend?" Clint teased.

"No!" Spidey said a bit too forcefully, startling everyone. "I...I'm way older than him. I'd be weird for me to date him."

"Okay, okay. Fair enough," Clint held up one hand. "Must be pretty smart if he made this," he poked the spider logo on Peter's chest.

"What's he look like? Do you have any pictures of him on your phone?" Wanda asked.

"Nope. I really have to get going," Spider-man shot a web at the ceiling and yanked himself off the couch. He did a flip mid-air and landed in a crouch on the other side of the room. Steve opened his mouth to say something, but the Masked Avenger was already running out the door.

* * *

**_Three Days Later_ **

"Hey, Uncle Happy," Peter greeted as he slipped into the back seat of Happy's car.

"Never. Ever. Call me that. Ever again." Happy spoke through gritted teeth. Of course, Happy cared about Peter. But did he like him? Not particularly. Especially whenever the kid opened his mouth. Happy carried a roll of duct tape with him, just in case he ever needed to shut Peter's mouth with something. Thankfully, that was yet to happen.

"Okay, Uncle Happy."

Happy reached for the roll of tape but decided against it. It took them awhile to get to the compound. The rush hour traffic was not helping. And of course, Peter talked the entire way. Happy had stopped listening over an hour ago. Was Peter talking about Star Wars again? God, Happy felt like he was about to lose his mind. These constant drives from Queens to the compound had become the bane of his existence.

"Right after this I'm taking you to get your drivers permit," Happy announced.

"What?! Really?!" Peter leaned against the front seats, way too close to Happy for the older man's liking.

"Yes. The sooner you learn to drive yourself the sooner I can go back to a peaceful existence." Happy muttered. The tires made faint popping and grinding noises as they rolled onto the gravel driveway leading to the compound's living quarters. Tony and Steve stood on the front steps, talking to each other. Happy parked the car, "alright, kid. You can walk the rest of the way."

Peter didn't move. For once he was silent, staring out the window at his father.

"Kid. Get out of the car."

Peter nodded and slipped out of the vehicle. Happy frowned. Was Peter limping? Had he gotten hurt while on patrol last night? It had taken Peter all of five minutes to find the new tracker in his suit and rip it out. So Happy had no way of knowing what had happened to the teen these past few days. He tried tracking his phone, but Peter left it at home when he went out on patrol.

"Peter!" Tony wrapped his son in a tight hug. "Meet Mr. America himself. Mr. America, meet Peter," Tony stepped aside so the two could shake hands.

"Nice to meet you, Peter. I wish I could say that I've heard a lot about you, but unfortunately," Steve glanced at Tony. Tony just shrugged.

"That's okay. Tony was keeping me a secret from everyone for safety reasons," Peter shrugged. "I-It's nice to meet you, Captain Rogers," he said quickly, widening his eyes slightly. He had to pretend he had never met the Avenger before, and that meant acting like a star struck fanboy.

"Just call me Steve. Speaking of names, you call your father by his first name?"

"Yeah, we're not quite...there yet," Tony pat Peter on the shoulder. "He calls me Stark when he's pissed at me. Which happens a lot. So today's a good day if he's calling me Tony."

Tony led them into the building, keeping one hand on Peter's shoulder. Everyone was waiting for them in the kitchen. Tony introduced him to everyone and Peter found it increasingly difficult to play dumb with each 'new' face he met.

"Is something wrong with your leg?" Natasha noticed the limp right away.

Peter shook his head, "I'm fine. Just sore from gym class."

"You didn't get into another fight, did you?" Tony frowned.

"Of course not!" Peter snapped. A shiver ran down his spine. Natasha was staring at him in such a way that he felt like she could see his very soul.

"You sound familiar. Have we met before?"

"N-no. I think I would remember if we had," Peter shifted around awkwardly, leaning on his uninjured leg. He had taken a bad fall and cut his thigh on the side of a dumpster. The entire ordeal could have been completely avoided if he wasn't showing off for Ned and Michelle. Not his most heroic injury.

"Who's turn is it to cook tonight?" Tony changed the subject.

"Mine," Vision raised his hand. Everyone exchanges nervous glances. Having someone without tastebuds cook for you was never a pleasant experience.

"I thought you were taken off the rotation?" Rhodey groaned.

"I'll help him," Wanda assured her team.

Other than a minor fire in the kitchen, the rest of the night was fairly pleasant. After nearly an hour of questioning, the Avengers welcomed Peter with open arms.

"You got anyone you need me to beat up?" Clint offered.

"No...I think everything's good," Peter said around a mouthful of food.

"Okay. But if you do, just let me know," Clint pointed his fork at Peter.

"Ass kicking is our specialty," Sam added.

"I'm well aware," Peter chuckled.

After dinner the team retired the to the lounge. Peter sat with his injured leg pulled close to his chest, his arms wrapped around his knee. The other leg was tucked underneath him. The position reminded Natasha of how Spider-man had sat when they questioned him a few days ago. Clint was currently sitting next to Peter, showing him how one of his explosive arrows worked.

"So, friends with Spider-man, huh? He told us about you." Natasha spoke up.

"Oh great, what did he tell you?" Peter groaned.

"Nothing much, actually." Natasha shrugged. "He said you made his suit?"

"With stuff from my lab and with my help," Tony said.

"Do you know who he is?" Natasha ignored Tony.

"Who?"

"Spider-man. Do you know his real name?"

"I do. And I'm not telling you," Peter shrugged.

Natasha smiled, "good answer. You're loyal to your friends. I appreciate that." She shot a quick look at Tony.

"You're seriously still mad at me?" Tony frowned.

"You kept a pretty big secret for two years. Especially after Siberia. When we all agreed to not keep secrets," Steve pointed out.

"It was for his own protection."

"Protection from what? We aren't a threat to your kid," Clint said, carefully setting the arrow on the coffee table.

"I know that, Barton. But there are a lot of people out there who want to hurt me any means necessary. I couldn't take any risks," Tony tried to reason with them.

"There are people who want me dead, too. That's why I don't really live in any one place. I gotta stay on the move," Peter put in.

"Who would want you dead? What did you do? Is some dad mad because you dated his daughter?" Clint snorted.

"Not exactly," Peter bit his lip.

* * *

  
**_One Week Later_ **

"Don't touch that. Or that. Especially not that." Tony smacked Steve's hand away from the iron man gauntlet he was working on.

"What's this do?" Steve threatened to push a button on the inside of the wrist.

"Now you're just being an ass. Get out of my lab."

"Natasha sent me to get you. C'mon Tony, It's time for training."

Before Tony could retort, FRIDAY spoke from the intercoms overhead. "Mr. Stark, you have a call from Happy."

"Patch 'em through," Tony picked up his cell phone.

"Hey, Tony, you might want to check on bug boy. It's a good thing you had a backup tracker in that suit."

"What now?" Tony pushed off his desk, propelling his swivel chair across the room. He stopped abruptly at another table, where he picked up a tablet. He swiped through the charts on the screen until he found what he was looking for. "No..."

The chart showed Spider-man vitals. It was reporting an increased heart rate and a significant amount of blood loss. Another chart with his skeleton showed several of his ribs and his left arm highlighted in bright red, signaling they had been broken. Tony felt his own blood run cold. He swiped to the next screen. A tiny red dot was bouncing around a tight area in Queens. Tony picked his phone back up, "Happy, how close are you to-"

"I'm two miles away," Happy's voice sounded grim. "Driving as fast as I can."

Tony tightened his grip on the tablet. The red dot had broken away from the area but only made it a few blocks before it stopped. It bounced between two building for a brief moment before stopping altogether.

An alarm suddenly blared throughout the compound. Loud and angry like a tornado siren.

"What the hell is that?!" Steve clapped his hands over his ears.

Tony slammed a button on his desk. Iron Man parts came flying out from all areas of the room. His body was encased in the gold and red armor in a matter of seconds.

"Tony! What's going on?!" Steve screamed. The skylight slid open and Iron Man blasted off without a word. The alarm was silenced as soon as he left. "FRIDAY, what was that all about?"

"Peter activated his panic button. Which caused the alarms. Peter has been instructed to only use the button in life or death situations." FRIDAY reported, her voice cheerful as ever.

Steve cursed under his breath. "FRIDAY, assemble the Avengers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> I saw Homecoming last night and just had to write a fic for it. Spider-man homecoming is officially my favorite Marvel movie and I love everything about it. I'm taking my brother to see it tomorrow and I can't wait. Have you guys seen it?
> 
> Also, how do you guys feel about Peter having a love interest in this story? I was thinking Ned or Michelle. Usually I write spideypool, but Spidey is a minor in this, so I'd rather not do that.


	2. Tony Struggles With Parenting pt. 1

Iron Man had never flown so fast in his life. It took him mere minutes to reach Queens. And it wasn't long before he found the masked avengers sprawled out on a fire escape. Tony felt like he might be sick at the mere sight of his son, battered, broken and bleeding out. Peter had his left arm draped over his chest, held in place by webbing. Crimson soaked his torso and dripped down his right arm, which hung between the bars of the fire escape. Most of his mask was gone, the right lens and some stray strands of fabric being the only things that remained strapped to his head.

Iron Man hovered next to him for a moment while FRIDAY scanned the teen, making sure it was safe to move him. "Just hang on, Peter. I'm not going to let you die. Not here. Not like this." The AI gave him the okay and Tony instantly scooped Peter into his arms and blasted off. "FRIDAY, call Happy. Tell him I have Peter."

"Right away, boss."

Back at the compound, the rest of the team was scrambling to get on the quinjet. They had been called to battle by Steve less than ten minutes ago. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a roar of an aircraft. Iron Man sailed overhead and landed on the steps of the medical building with a loud metallic thud.

"Tony! Do you have Peter?!" Steve ran over to him. Iron Man was clearly holding something in his arms, but he kept his back to them. Tony didn't say anything, he just hurried inside. Several nurses rushed to meet him, taking the figure from his arms and carting him away on a hospital bed. Tony hurried after them, not wanting to leave his son.

Much to his dismay, the nurses prevented him from entering the operating room.

"Tony...what's going on? What happened?" Natasha asked, her eyes full of concern.

Tony still wore his armor. He suddenly couldn't breathe and opened the suit. He started to fall to his knees but Natasha caught him before he hit the ground.

"Tony?" Steve was suddenly on the other side of him. He was vaguely aware of the two Avengers guiding him to a chair in the waiting room.

"Peter's hurt bad...hurt real bad..." Tony whispered. He looked over at his suit. Blood dripped from the metal torso. Peter's blood. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Clint stole the waste basket from by the front door and handed it to his teammate. Tony took several deep breaths. After a few minutes, he set down the trash can and put his head in his hands.

Natasha went to talk to one of the nurses. A bit later she returned, looking grim. "They said his chest and back were ripped to shreds by glass. Broken arm and three broken ribs. Punctured lung. Their best guess is he was in a car accident and went through the windshield. He lost a lot of blood, but he's not in critical condition any more."

"That's not what happened," Tony's voice was muffled by his hands.

"What did happen then?" Steve frowned.

"He probably picked a fight with someone he wasn't ready to fight," Tony answered.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Natasha crosses her arms.

"Look, can I see my son or not?" Tony looked up at her.

Natasha shook her head, "they're still patching him up."

The sun began to set before anyone was allowed to see Peter. A soft orange glow illuminated the room. Various Avengers came and went, checking on the situation and then leaving to get dinner. Tony was now alone in the waiting room, staring at the clock on the opposite wall. Five hours, ten minutes, and forty-seven seconds. That's exactly how long Tony had been waiting. He continued to count the seconds, finding it oddly calming. Footsteps approached him. Thinking it was a doctor with news, he grabbed the armrests of the chair, ready to jump up.

It was just Steve. With Chinese take out.

"You need to eat something, Tony." Steve handed him a take out box.

"I can't."

"Try," Steve sat down next to him with his own box.

Tony tried some of the rice. It tasted like ash. He forced himself to eat it anyway.

"He's going to be okay, Tony."

"How do you know?"

"He's a Stark. Starks are pretty tough from what I've seen."

"He's not my biological kid."

"Doesn't have to be. He's a lot like you."

"That's not something I want to hear. Last thing this world needs is another screw up like me," Tony stabbed his rice with a plastic fork.

"I meant that in a good way. He's smart, strong, and has more attitude than you and Clint combined. Peter's going to be just fine."

Tony's phone went off, showing Peter's name as the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Mr. Stark? Is Peter with you?" Ned's worried voice sounded from the other end.

Tony opened his mouth to answer but didn't know what to say. "Um...listen, Peter is in the hospital."

"So you found him. Thank god, I was so worried. I saw him take on those guys but he ran off, oh my gosh there was so much blood...is he going to be okay?" Ned's voice shook.

"He's going to be just fine. How much of the fight did you see?"

"All of it. Pete and I were walking home from school and all of a sudden he told me to run. But I didn't. I hid behind a dumpster. Then this car drove up, with a bunch of dudes-" Ned was cut off by static.

"Ned? Are you still there?" Tony frowned.

No answer. Tony sighed, hung up and tried to call him back.

A cheery automated voice picked up, "The number you are trying to reach is no longer-"

Tony cursed and ended the call.

"Who was that?" Steve asked.

"Ned Leeds. Peter's friend. He saw what happened to Peter. Unfortunately, the call got dropped before he could tell me."

One of the Avengers' doctors finally came over to them. "Peter is awake if you'd like to see him."

It took everything in Tony's power not to run to his son right then and there. Instead, he shuffled behind Steve and the doctor, wringing his hands anxiously. He swallowed at the sight of Peter lying on the hospital bed. Thick bandages covered his torso, his left arm in a cast. Angry purple bruises littered his body. An oxygen mask placed over his face. The doctor moved around to the other side of the bed, checking on the IV in his arm.

Peter turned his head slightly, and whispered, "Tony? Steve?"

Tony was at his side in an instant, stroking his hair and speaking softly. "Hey, kid. Welcome back to the world of the living."

"Good to be back," Peter croaked, letting his eyes fall shut.

Steve hung back, his eyes wide. Peter's injuries weren't the only shocking thing about the scene before him. Peter donned a pair of bright blue pants, along with red boots that bore the unmistakable black webbing. The rest of the costume was long gone, stripped away by the doctors who had operated on Peter. Steve spotted the remnants of the costume in the trash and fished them out. Balling them up, he stuffed them in his pocket before joining Tony at Peter's side.

* * *

  
**Two weeks later**

Steve watched Peter slowly move around the kitchen. He had healed remarkably fast, all things considered. His arm had mended, and the bruises were gone. He complained about his ribs aching but otherwise was back to his old self. Tony said it was all thanks to the advanced medicine the Avengers had access too. Which, could very well be true. Although, Steve was almost 100% certain that it was due to Peter having a healing factor. Peter hadn't spoken to anyone about the incident. Not even Tony. If anyone brought it up, the teen just shrank in on himself and refused to talk.

Steve still had the remains of Spider-man's costume, shoved in the back of a desk drawer. He hadn't told anyone about it. As of right now, he was the only one in on the truth. He wasn't sure if Peter knew that Steve knew. To be honest, Steve wasn't sure what to do with this new found information. Should he tell the team and risk both Tony and Peter's wrath?

No more secrets.

That was the one rule they all agreed on when they moved in together.

Keeping secrets is what tore their team apart two years ago.

"Good morning, Peter," Steve said, making the teen jump and hit his head on a cupboard with a loud thump. "How are you feeling?"

"Morning, Steve," he grumbled. "I was fine...ow."

"Ned keeps trying to call you, by the way. I don't know if Tony told you."

"Ned?" Peter's eyes lit up upon hearing his friend's name.

"Yup. He's been using your phone to call Tony. But the calls keep dropping whenever Tony picks up." Steve shrugged.

"I'll go ask Tony about it. Don't let anyone touch my waffles!" Peter pointed at the toaster before hurrying out of the room.

* * *

  
"Tony-"

"Not now, Peter. Avengers meeting, remember?" Tony said, swiping through various files on his tablet. He stopped abruptly and glanced back at Peter. "Spider-man might want to be present for this one."

"Is that a good idea?"

"Probably not. But it will look suspicious if you don't show up," Tony shrugged.

"Does anyone know? About me?" Peter asked. He knew he had still been in costume when Tony brought him to the med bay. He didn't know who was present when that happened.

"Steve does. He saw you before we had a chance to change you out of your suit," Tony went back to swiping the digital paperwork.

"Great."

"I doubt he'll bring it up at the meeting. Go get dressed. There's a new suit waiting for you in your room." Tony tucked the tablet under his arm and went into the conference room.

* * *

  
Spider-man sat at the head of the table, between his father and Steve. This was not where he usually sat, his proper place being next to Clint at the other end of the table. Only Captain America or Iron Man sat at the head of the table. He shifted around anxiously, wondering if he was in trouble.

"So, Spidey. We have a mission for you," The Captain leaned forward, folding his hands neatly on the table.

"A solo mission?" His lenses widened in awe.

"No. Cap, Widow, Scarlet and I will also be on the mission. You'll just be the one leading us." Tony clarified.

"I'm...leading a mission?" Spidey didn't think his lenses could get much wider. Steve and Tony led missions. Natasha sometimes led missions when neither men were available. But Spidey? He didn't even get to say "Avengers Assemble".

"Yup. Don't let it go to your head, kid. This is a one time gig," Steve nodded, sliding a tablet in front of Spider-man. "You're leading this mission because you know the most about Peter."

"Peter? What does he have to do with this?" Spidey turned on the tablet by tapping the screen. His lenses blinked, surprised to see his own X-rays and list of injuries. As well as grainy video footage of himself, dressed in civilian clothes, running away from several heavily armed men. The footage was only a few seconds long, due to him and his attackers disappearing into an alley. Another video showed the men making their escape in a black van. No license plate.

"We need to find out who attacked Stark's kid. And bring them in before they can strike again," Natasha explained from her spot on the other side of Captain Rogers. "The security camera's in the area are dodgy. This is the only footage we have."

Spider-man nodded slowly, remembering how his spider sense had painfully spiked when the black van rolled up beside him.

"You're Peter's friend. We need you to talk to him. Find out everything he remembers about the people who attacked him. And I mean everything," Tony explained. "Once we figure out who these guys are, you can plan our next moves."

"M-me?" Spidey stammered.

"Of course. That's your job as leader," Steve gave him a reassuring smile and clapped him on the back. Spider-man gasped in pain, his ribs felt like they were on fire. "Sorry, are you okay?" Steve's eyebrows knit together in worry.

"F-fine." Peter wheezed, clenching his fist until the pain ebbed away. "Old injury. N-no big deal."

"If you say so," Steve was looking at Spider-man in way Spidey didn't quite understand. Like he knew something the youngest Avenger didn't. "Go find Peter. We'll all meet back here in twenty-four hours. Dismissed." One by one, the Avengers left the room, until Spider-man was the only one who remained. Taking a deep breath, Peter tucked the file under his arm and got up to leave. He could hear Tony speaking just outside the door.

"You did that on purpose."

"Did what?" Steve asked.

"Hit him in the ribs. That was unnecessary and you know it." Stark spat.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Peter heard heavy footsteps, signaling that Cap was walking away. A moment later he heard Tony shuffling off in the opposite direction.

* * *

  
Steve paced back and forth in his office, deep in thought. A small stack of papers was strewn across his desk. The printer whirred as it spat out another file. Steve ran over and grabbed the paper, only to let out a sigh when he saw that it was just Peter's report card. "FRIDAY, is this all the info you have on Stark's son?"

"All public information, yes."

"Public?"

"Yes, Captain Rogers. There is plenty more information. However, you do not have clearance to view them."

"How do I get clearance?" Steve crumpled the paper and tossed it in the trashcan on the other side of the room.

"I need verbal permission from Mr. Stark in order to unlock the files."

"We'll see about that..." Steve called Natasha into his office and asked her to help hack into Stark's files.

"I thought you'd never ask," Natasha cracked her knuckles and got to work. Steve went back to pacing the office.

An hour passed before the AI spoke up, "security overridden. Access granted to files concerning Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark. What would you like to view first?" Steve leaned over Natasha's shoulder, watching as dozens of folders suddenly popped up all over the screen. Everything from medical records to adoption papers, to something labeled "Iron Spider" was now in full view.

"I'm not sure. I think we'll take it from here, FRIDAY, thank you," Steve dismissed the AI.

"What's that?" Natasha hovered the mouse over a file titled "Research".

"I don't know. Click on it."

Natasha did as she was told. Both Avengers stared at the newly opened file in shock. "I don't believe it..." Natasha's mouth hung open as she scrolled through the document. "Stark, you bastard..."

"Stark wasn't the one who did this," Steve pointed out the name at the bottom of the file. "I believe Doctor Banner owes us an explanation."

Natasha snapped her mouth shut and exed out of the document, not wanting to read any more of it.

"That one. Open it," Steve pointed to another folder, this one called "family business". Natasha did so.

"Okay. Stark really is a bastard this time," Natasha said after they read the document.

* * *

  
**Two Years Ago**

_"Sure you don't want anything to eat?" Tony leaned against the doorframe. Peter was lying on the guest bed, curled up in the fetal position, headphones over his ears. Tony cleared his throat, about to ask the question again, but Peter spoke first._

_"I'm not hungry."_

_"You've barely eaten anything all week," Tony reasoned. "Happy's going to be pissed, after all that food he cooked for you." the Avenger took a seat next to Peter. Peter turned his back to him. "Listen, kid. I know this has been hard for you. But you have to take care of yourself."_

_"What for?"_

_"What do you mean, 'what for'?" Tony scoffed, "you're a growing young man! You can't just /not eat/!"_

_"Why do you care?"_

_"Because..." Tony trailed off. "I just do, okay?"_

_"Whatever."_

_"I know what it's like to lose family, Pete." Tony went on. "I'm the only Stark left. You can talk to me."_

_"Does it ever stop hurting?" Peter whispered._

_"No. It just gets less lonely. Eventually, you make your own family." Tony put a hand on Peter's shoulder, "I made the Avengers my family. You'll be able to find yours, too."_

_Peter shook his head. Aunt May had only been gone for two weeks. He had come to Tony for help, not knowing who else to turn to. Tony had welcomed him into the compound with open arms, although over the past few days it became clear that his residence in the tower was only temporary. Tony showed no interest in taking care of Peter long term. The two sat in silence for a long time._

_"Try and eat something before bed, okay, kiddo?" Tony ruffled Peter's hair. He gave him one last sad look before getting up to leave._

_"I'm going to go back to Queens tomorrow."_

_"Do you have someone to stay with?" Tony frowned._

_Peter shrugged, "I'll figure it out when I get there."_

_"Fine. Whatever floats your boat." Tony left the room. He was unaware of Wanda following him until she spoke up._

_"Don't let him go back to Queens."_

_"Why not? If he wants to go back-"_

_She ran around in front of him, throwing out her arms to block his path. Wanda was currently the only other Avenger at the compound. Everyone else was away on missions and were completely oblivious to their teenage guest. "He has nowhere to go, Stark. He has to stay we you."_

_"With me? You mean at the compound? Who the hell would raise him if he stayed here? I can't take care of a kid on top of everything else." Tony snorted, motioning to the area around him._

_"You can and you will."_

_"No. I won't." Tony looked at her as if she had just sprouted an extra arm. "I'm not his Father. I'm not anyone's Father. And it's going to stay that way."_

_"He needs you, Stark. You're all he has left." Wanda insisted._

_"My answer is no. I'll drop him off at an orphanage tomorrow. I'll even let him pick which one," Tony crossed his arms._

_"How can you abandon him? I know the truth about who Peter really is. And so do you. You can't just pretend you don't."_

_Tony took a deep breath, struggling to control his rising anger, "you know nothing."_

_"I can see in your head, Stark. I know everything. Letting Peter go would be the biggest mistake of your life and you know it." Wanda raised her hands, red light dancing between her fingertips. "I also know how Bruce is connected to all this. I looked in his mind, too."_

_"Hey, now, what's this all about?" Tony took a step back._

_"A gentle push in the right direction," Wanda flicked her fingers, the red light passing through Tony's eyes before he could stop her. "You need to take Peter in as your own. It's very important, not just for his sake, but for the Avengers as a whole. You'll understand when the time comes. For now, forget we had this conversation. Forget that I know anything about Peter." She moved her hands in a strange circular pattern as she spoke. "Alright, Stark, go get those adoption papers ready."_

_Tony fell silent. He nodded once and continued walking down the hall, the red light dancing behind his eyes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! >]
> 
> Thank you for reading! And a special thank you to everyone who commented, left kudos, bookmarked and subscribed to the first chapter! It really means a lot to me!


	3. Thunderstorms and Alcohol

"What the hell is this?" Steve slammed a print out of the 'Research and Experimentation" document onto Bruce's Desk. He had burst into the doctor's lab just moments earlier, promptly telling everyone else within the room to leave. The scientists working for Doctor Banner quickly shuffled out of the room.

Bruce glanced at the paper. If he recognized it, he didn't show it. "What's what?"

"You created a radioactive spider," Steve pointed to the diagram on the first page.

"I did. And? I was trying to find a cure for my own green problems. I was unsuccessful, as you can clearly see." Bruce motioned to himself, his voice calm.

"I can see that. What I can't see is why you purposefully let the spider loose and allowed it to bite someone."

"That's not what happened. It escaped. Yes, it bit someone, and yes. Did I mean for it to bite anyone? No. Of course not. Although, I took that as an opportunity to study the effects on the individual." Bruce took off his glasses and put them in the pocket of his lab coat. "So far they have been positive."

"You created Spider-man."

"I gave him his powers. What Peter did with them was completely up to him," Bruce didn't seem in the least bit worried.

"What if Peter had used his powers against us? You could've created a super villain," Steve fumed.

"But I didn't. Peter's a good kid. I've been watching him closely." He paused for a moment, "well, as closely as I could. Him being adopted by Stark made it difficult for me to continue my research."

"You should've told us about this from the start, Bruce." Steve's glare didn't phase Bruce in the slightest.

"I'll remember to do that next time."

Steve narrowed his eyes, "there better not be a next time, Banner."

"How did you even find this?" Bruce picked up the document, flipping through the pages one by one.

"Natasha hacked Tony's files. We found out everything about Peter. Everything."

"What do you mean, everything? What is there to know other than him being Spider-man?" Bruce slipped the document into his desk drawer, planning to burn it after the Captain left.

"This," Steve handed him a single piece of paper.

"What's-oh...OH." Bruce's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "I had no idea...this...this explains a lot."

Steve nodded in agreement.

"Does anyone else know?" Bruce handed the paper back to him.

"Just Romanov and I. I'm assuming Happy and Pepper would know, but I'm not sure."

"Get rid of that paper, Steve. Just get rid of it. Don't tell anyone. If anyone finds out-"

"Peter could be in even more danger than he already is. I know. Natasha deleted the file from Tony's archives. No one will ever know about this." Steve assured him.

"Good. I..." Bruce took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "I hope one day it will be safe enough for Tony to tell us the whole truth."

"That day might never come." Steve shook his head. He took the paper over to where Bruce had a bunch of beakers and chemicals lined up on a table. Without hesitating, Steve balled up the document and dropped it in a vat of acid. The paper sizzled as it was quickly eaten away to nothing.

* * *

**Same Time, Elsewhere in the Compound:**

"I don't think I can do this," Peter muttered.

"I think you're more than capable of leading this team," Tony didn't look up from the Iron Man mask he was working on.

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about web-slinging. My ribs aren't done healing. It's gonna hurt like hell," Peter was sitting on a table, watching Tony work. He laid back, trying to keep the pressure off his ribs. The cold metal of the table was a welcoming feeling on his back.

"Maybe it's time you put on the Iron Spider suit, then. It'll support your ribs."

"Can't you just fix up the suit I already have?"

"Why? Last I checked you couldn't wait to wear the Iron Spider suit. You wouldn't shut up about it," Tony finally looked up at his son. "What is it with you and sitting on everything except for an actual chair? Get off the table." He poked Peter's leg with a screwdriver.

Peter refused to budge, "I don't know, Tony, the Iron Spider just seems like overkill."

"We're going after people who almost killed you. They were able to cut through the fabric on your suit. They shouldn't have been able to do that. Some overkill might be exactly what we need." He poked Peter again with the screwdriver. Peter snatched the offending object and chucked it across the room.

"Rude," Tony picked up a different screwdriver and got back to work. "I'll fix your suit when I'm done with this."

"They were using the same tech as the Vulture," Peter said suddenly.

"Who?"

"The guys who attacked me. They had weird alien guns and glowy knife things." Peter waved his hands around in the air, "the Vulture is behind bars. But none of his goons are. I think they attacked me to avenge their boss," Spidey explained.

Tony's frown deepened. He had stopped working on the helmet, opting instead to just stare at it. The glass eyes stared right back at him, emotionless as ever.

Peter continued, "Toomes had a bunch of different hideouts, all over the coast. There's a good chance the baddies could still be using one or more of them."

Tony nodded slowly and said, "we should probably check out the ones in New York first."

* * *

**Next Day, Seven PM, Somewhere in Brooklyn.**

  
Spider-man gasped in pain when he was jerked up a bit too suddenly by his webbing, pain slicing through his ribs like a hot knife.

"You good, Spidey?" Tony asked over the comms.

"Y-yeah, just peachy," he grunted when he landed on the wall. After hours of searching empty hideouts, they had finally found what they were looking for. Adrian's former workers had been putting up quite a fight so far. But they were all too focused on taking down Spidey, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from the rest of the Avengers. The Shocker was the only one fully capable of holding his own. The warehouse they fought in was about to cave in, it's walls and roof torn apart by various repulsor blasts and other energy beams fired by the Vulture's former workers. Spidey did his best to web up any failing supports, not wanting to end up trapped under a building. Again.

"Did you get hit?" Natasha asked, not believing him for a second.

"No, no. I'm fine. My web just pulled my muscles the wrong way. We're all good here," Peter sputtered. He crawled up into the ceiling rafters. The lenses of his mask adjusted in size multiple times as he scanned the battle.

Tony watched him out of the corner of his eye. "Don't do anything reckless," he said to his son.

"Reckless is my middle name."

"No, it isn't. Seriously, we need to-"

"I'm going to legally change my middle name to 'Reckless'."

"Spidey-" Tony started.

Without warning, Spider-man dived down onto the Shocker, knocking him out with one swift blow to the back of the head. Upon seeing their leader fall, the remaining henchmen scattered.

Steve slipped his shield onto his back, "nice work kid."

"This doesn't seem right," Spider-man looked over at him.

"What do you mean?"

"It just doesn't seem right," Spider-man repeated. "This was too easy." _And these aren't the people who attacked me. I don't recognize anyone here except the Shocker_. Peter thought, his gut telling him that this was far from over.

"You're being paranoid," Iron Man landed next to Spidey with a loud clang. "SHIELD should be here to clean up any minute. Let's tie these guys up and get back to the compound. FRIDAY's telling me it's about to rain." Tony lifted his faceplate and looked up. Dark clouds could clearly be seen through the holes in the roof.

* * *

  
Spider-man tried to sneak a glass from the bar but Tony caught him and made him put it back. "Not until you're twenty-one, junior. Or whenever Cap's not present. Whatever ones first."

"Hey!" Steve yelled from the other side of the room. "Don't you dare-"

"Keep your panties on, Capsickle. I was just joking." Tony held up his hands. No one was sure if he was telling the truth or not. The Avengers had gathered in the lounge to celebrate their latest victory, and all the adults were enjoying a drink.

"Oh let him have the drink. He earned it," Natasha smirked.

"Stay out of this," Steve shot her a look.

"I thought Spidey was in his twenties?" Clint looked back at the webbed wonder.

"He's seventeen. And will not be having any beer except for root beer tonight," Steve announced. Peter grumbled something under his breath as he trudged to the kitchen to get a soda. Clint found it odd that Cap would know Spider-man's exact age, but he didn't press the subject.

"Hey, where's Peter? He should be out here with us!" Sam said.

"He was asleep in his room last I checked," Tony shrugged.

"I'll go get him!" Clint jumped up.

"No, I got this!" Spider-man made for the door only to be tackled by Clint. "Oof!" Spider-man got his arms up under himself and pushed Clint off, flipping him around and putting him in a headlock.

"Hey, no wrestling!" Tony yelled, worried about Peter's broken ribs.

Thunder drowned out Tony's voice, the lights flickering a moment later.

"FRIDAY wasn't kidding about the rain...that's one hell of a storm," Natasha commented as she sipped her wine. "Are we sure Thor isn't visiting the compound?"

Lightning struck again, this time knocking out the power.

"That's not good," Steve commented.

"One, two, three, four," Tony counted under his breath, "aaand...five!" As soon as he spoke, the backup generators kicked in, flooding the room with light once more.

"What the FUCK," Spider-man gasped, pointing at the window. On the other side of the glass stood a man, his identity masked by the dim light of the outdoors. He hovered just above the ground, supported by two of the four long metal tentacles attached to his sides.

**_CRASH_ **

The other two limbs shattered the window without warning. Spider-man jumped back, pulling Clint away from the flying glass. The strange man slipped into the room, a dark smile playing on his lips.

"What the hell? Who are you?!" Spider-man took a defensive stance.

"You'll find out soon enough, my dear spider," the man said evenly, one of the tentacles shooting out to grab Spider-man. The vigilante leaped over the tentacle and lunged for the intruder. The rest of the Avengers weren't far behind.

The six armed man held his own fairly well, blocking any and all attacks and countering with his own. At some point, Spider-man had been hurled head first into the far wall. He slumped to the floor, ears ringing and seeing double. "Ow..." Spider-man closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain. When he opened them again he was met with the sight of his father, standing in front of him with his arms held out protectively.

"T-Tony?" Spider-man struggled to his feet, only to fall back onto his hands and knees.

Tony turned to face him. Sparks shot out of various areas of his badly damaged suit. His helmet was completely gone, a deep gash cutting across his forehead. The chest plate was battered to high hell, with dents in it that had surely broken the fragile bones beneath.

"Stay down. We got this-ARGH!" A tentacle grabbed Iron Man by the leg and flung him into the bar. The arc reactor flickered.

"DAD!!" Spider-man screamed.

Iron Man's hand twitched, but he made no move to get back up. Captain America rushed over to take Iron Man's place, guarding Spidey as if his life depended on it.

Clint looked over at Spidey, "did you call Iron Man 'dad'? OOF!" Another tentacle had slammed into his chest, sending him sailing across the room.

The strange man cursed under his breath. Whatever his goal was, it seemed as though he was not able to achieve it. As evident by how he was quickly retreating out the broken window.

Spider-man mustered up all his strength and pushed past Steve, running straight for the intruder. Or intruders? He was still seeing double. He wasn't even aware that one of the tentacles had grabbed him until it yanked him off his feet and flung him outside. Spider-man tumbled through the mud and skidded to a halt. The intruder was making his way right for him.

Lightning flashed again, briefly illuminating the look of pure hatred on the intruder's face. The metal arms shook the ground as they carried him ever close to Spider-man.

"Tony was right. Shoulda worn the Iron Spider..." Peter wiped the mud out of his lenses with the back of his hand. The rain pelted his already drenched body, causing him to shiver. The mask was glued to his face, making it a bit difficult to breathe. Two tentacles shot straight for his head. Spidey dropped down and slid between the man's legs. He jumped back up, spun around and kicked the man in the back of the head.

The man stumbled forward. "You're tougher than I thought..." He said as he regained his balance and turned to face Peter. "No wonder my colleagues want you dead so badly." He struck Spidey upside the head with a metal limb, sending him sprawling back down into the mud. "They instructed me to bring you in alive, though. So let's not overdo things." Cold steel clamped around Spidey's ankle dragging him towards the strange man. Thanks to his now soaked suit, Spider-man was able to slip free. He crab-walked backward several feet before flipping into a defensive crouch.

"You attacked my family. Just to get to me?" Spider-man growled. "That's already 'overdoing' things."

"They were in my way," the intruder shrugged. "I assure you I mean them no ill will."

"Then, let's keep this fight between you and me. No one else has to get hurt," Spider-man said. His healing factor had finally kicked in, and he could now see the six armed man clearly.

"Very well, Spider. Fight me all you like. You will be coming with me when this is all over, either way."

"Spider-man! Stand down!" Steve ordered. The Avenger had jumped out the window and was running towards them.

"We better move this fight. If you really do intend to keep it between just the two of us," the man backed into the trees, melting away into the shadows.

Spider-man darted after him.

"Spider-man, no!!" Steve screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> The next chapter won't be up until next week. Fair warning, the next chapter will be violent. But there will also be quite a bit of superfamily fluff.
> 
> (Also, I'm about to see Homecoming for a third time because I'm Marvel TRASH.)


	4. Photograph

  
**_ELEVEN MONTHS AGO_ **

  
_"You're getting better...I'm impressed, Spidey." Natasha complimented as she dodged another fist thrown at his head. "But you are still leaving yourself wide open." In one smooth motion, she struck him in the chest, knocking him onto his ass._

_Spidey took the chance to kick Natasha's feet out from under her. "Maybe that was my plan all along?" Natasha regained her balance and aimed a kick at Spidey's face. The web-slinger blocked it by making an x with his forearms. He then grabbed her ankle and flipped her onto the mat. They had been sparring for almost an hour and still going strong._

_"That kid just doesn't give up," Steve commented. Tony stood next to him, a soft smile on his lips. The two Avengers watched from a viewing window two stories above the main training hall. "Think he's ready?"_

_"For?"_

_"Sparring against Iron Man? Natasha's going easy on him. She likes him too much," Steve suggested. "She's pulling her punches. She didn't use to do that. Wanda and Clint were going easy on him yesterday, too."_

_"So they've grown to like the kid. Big deal."_

_"It is a big deal because our enemies won't be going easy on him," Steve pointed out. "Get your suit and go down there."_

_"What makes you think I won't go easy on him, too? He's like a son to me, ya know?"_

_"I know. Jesus, you practically spoil the kid with all those suit upgrades," Steve crossed his arms._

_"That he refuses to use. That ungrateful little shit just wants to keep using spandex. No AI. No tracker. No nothing." Tony grumbled. "I made him a panic button just in case something goes horribly wrong...god knows if he actually keeps it on his person..."_

_Steve couldn't help but chuckle. "I know you care about him. I also know you are a competitive asshole who would never let a teenager beat him. Give Romanov a break and fight Spidey with all you got."_

_"You want me to launch a rocket at Spider-man?"_

_"If that's what it takes to push him to his limits, then go for it. Just do the rocket launching outside the building," Steve gave him a thumbs up._

_Back down on the training floor, Spider-man was completely oblivious to the two senior Avengers watching him. Suddenly, Iron Man landed between him and Natasha with a metallic clang. Spider-man gulped as he slowly looked up at the armored man. The glowing blue eyes of his helmet betrayed no emotion._

_"Hi, Spider-man." Tony greeted cheerfully. Before Peter could respond, Iron Man shot him in the chest at point blank. Thankfully, the repulsor was set to stun and did nothing but launch Spider-man clear across the room. "Bye, Spider-man."_

_Spider-man flipped onto all fours, "what the fuck, Tony?"_

_"Watch your mouth, kid. It's time you did some serious training." Iron Man had a repulsor trained on Spider-man's head. He blasted it again, but this time Spider-man was faster._

_Steve smiled to himself, watching the battle below. Both Avengers were giving it all they got, and it was quite entertaining. Steve took out his phone and texted the remaining members of the team, "Spider-man V. Iron Man. Right now, training hall. Bring popcorn."_

_It wasn't long before the remaining team members had piled into the viewing area._

_"Boy, Spider-man is out for blood," Clint remarked, as Spider-man kicked Iron Man in the back of the knees and proceeded to put him in a headlock._

_"So is Tony," Rhodey couldn't help but laugh when Iron Man ignited his boots, shooting up into the air and slamming Spider-man into the ceiling. "That's gotta hurt..."_

_Spider-man remained stuck to the ceiling when Iron Man pulled away. He hovered a few feet below, looking up at Peter. Spider-man stared right back at him. The way his lenses were squinting made Tony uneasy._

_"Spidey?"_

_Without warning, Spider-man lets go of the ceiling, dropping down on the armored Avenger. Tony let out a surprised yelp._

* * *

  
**_NOW_ **

Spider-man leaped from branch to branch, following the six armed man deeper and deeper into the woods. He could vaguely here Steve shouting in the distance. "Whoa!!" He almost slipped off a branch, managing to catch himself on the tree trunk just in time. Fighting in a thunderstorm was proving to be one of the most frustrating things Spider-man could think of. His spidey sense went off, giving him a split second to duck before a metal claw speared the area where his head had just been. Woodchips rained down on the web-slinger.

"We're away from the Avengers, as requested," his attacker said. "I can save you a lot of pain if you surrender now and come with me," he offered one last time.

"Not gonna happen, octopus man." Spider-man let himself drop to the ground.

"My name is Doctor Otto Octavius, and you shall address me as such," the man snarled.

"Whatever, Doctor Octopus." The communicator in Spider-man's ear crackled. Someone had switched it on remotely.

"Spider-man! Fall back! This is an order! Do not engage!" Captain America yelled, "repeat, do not-"

Spider-man reached under his mask and ripped the communicator out of his ear. Lightning flashed right as Spider-man lunged for Doc Ock.

* * *

  
_**SIX MONTHS AGO** _

_Clint cursed and threw his controller on the ground. Spider-man had beaten him in Mario cart. Again. "One day...one day you're going down," he punched Spider-man in the shoulder._

_"Keep telling yourself that, Hawk Guy." Spider-man laughed, setting the controller down on the coffee table. He crossed his legs and tucked his hands in his lap. "Let's play something else."_

_"Dinner will be ready soon," Steve reminded from the kitchen. He was wearing a bright pink cooking apron with a poodle on the chest. A joke gift from Tony. Peter crawled over the couch and went to see what he was cooking. "How's school going, Spidey?"_

_"What?" Spider-man froze. Did Cap know his identity?_

_"I saw you reading that history textbook. What's your major?" Steve continued._

_"Major?" Spider-man let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Um, biophysics?" It wasn't a complete lie, considering he did want to study that in college. "Um, actually, Cap...do you think you can help me out? I have a test on Monday, about the events leading up to WW2, and I'm having trouble with the dates."_

_A few hours later, Tony walked into the lounge to see Spider-man upside down on the couch. Steve was sitting across from him, a stack of flash cards in his hands._

_"C'mon, son, you know this one," Steve was holding up one of the cards._

_Spider-man groaned and ran his hands down his face, distorting his eyepieces slightly when he tugged on the fabric. "Nineteen-thirty...five?"_

_"Thirty-nine," Steve corrected._

_Spider-man groaned again._

_Steve put down the flashcards and opened the textbook, "maybe we should go over this section one more time?"_

_Tony smiled softly and left the room._

* * *

  
**_NOW_ **

Spider-man lifted his mask just enough to spit out the blood that had built up in his mouth. He was honestly surprised that the hit to his jaw hadn't broken it. Doc Ock swung at him again, and this time Peter was able to duck out of the way.

_THWIP_

Spider-man shot a web at a branch and used it to launch himself into the air. He flipped around and landed a kick right between Doc Ock's shoulder blades. As he jumped back he did another flip. He was vaguely aware of landing in a mud puddle. His suit was so dirty at this point he was convinced that there was more mud than fabric. Peter had figured out early on that Doc Ock's extra limbs were made from some sort of Chitauri tech. They reminded him of the Vulture's wings. Maybe Doc Ock got his arms from the same people? Either way, there was no breaking the tentacles without some Chitauri tech of his own to do so. Peter would have to break the man connected to them in order to win.

"I have to say, Doc. Fighting in the rain is definitely something I will not be doing again anytime soon." Spider-man could feel blood running down the back of his arm, snaking its way under his web shooter. Warm, sticky and uncomfortable.

"Then you'll be happy to know that this is the last battle you will ever fight!" Doc Ock snarled, his extra arms all striking at once.

Spider-man jumped into the air, bounced off one of the arms and punched Doc Ock square in the face. "Let's hope it's not! I kinda like this job! I get to eat ice cream with the Avengers. How cool is that?"

"Why do you insist on speaking about such trivial things?" Doc Ock huffed. One of the tentacles wrapped around Peter's neck and hurled him into the ground.

"J-just trying to...lighten...the...m-mood...do you like icecream...Doc?" Spider-man gasped out, clawing at the metal limb that was quickly tightening around his throat.

"I grow tired of listening to you. Say goodbye to those vocal cords, Spider-man," Doc Ock forced the arm even tighter. Spider-man's mouth gaped. Nothing came out. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't speak. His bug eyes flew wide in pure panic.

* * *

  
_**THREE MONTHS AGO** _

_"Wanda! Steve! I need your help!" Tony yelled, racing up the stairs. Wanda and Steve stopped at the top of the staircase, looking back at their frantic teammate._

_"What is it?" Steve's eyes wide in fear, his mind instantly going to the worse case scenario. "Is somebody hurt?!"_

_Tony stopped a few steps down from them and doubled over, trying to catch his breath. "No...um...I...I need help baking a cake."_

_"A cake?" Wanda giggled._

_Steve let out an exasperated sigh, "just look up a recipe online. I don't have time for this." He turned to leave, however, Tony started speaking again, in the same urgent tone as before._

_"No, you don't understand, this cake has to be perfect! And I can't bake worth a damn! Vision is better at baking than me!" Tony sounded extremely desperate._

_"What's the cake for?" Wanda had already read his mind and knew exactly who the cake was for. She wanted to hear him say it out loud, though._

_"Spider-man. Today's his birthday," Tony explained._

_Steve turned back around, suddenly intrigued. "Why are you making a cake for Spider-man? He's not even here right now."_

_"He will be later tonight. C'mon, let's go make a cake!" Tony started back down the stairs, motioning for them to follow. Wanda skipped down behind him, while Steve followed at a distance. "What kind of cake do kids like? Chocolate? Chocolate. Let's make a chocolate cake. Do you think sprinkles is too much?"_

_"I think Spider-man is the kinda guy who would like sprinkles," Wanda said. Steve nodded in agreement._

_"We should cook something special for dinner, too. Like actually cook it, not just order fancy food," Tony went on._

_"You're taking this very seriously, Tony," Steve commented._

_"Yeah, well, I want to make things right," Tony shrugged._

_"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve frowned._

_"I don't think the kid has a family. Or anyone else really. He told me he hasn't celebrated his birthday in a few years, so..." In truth, Tony had completely forgotten about Peter's 16th birthday and had been on the other side of the world, leaving Peter alone in the compound. He still felt bad about that. Before that, Peter had lost his Uncle Ben not long before his 15th birthday, so he hadn't celebrated than either. "Look, Spidey's a good friend. To all of us. And he's done a lot for the team. It's about time we did something for him. I already texted the whole team. Everyone will be here by six."_

_"Gotcha," Steve nodded in agreement. As soon as they got to the kitchen he got to work on gathering the ingredients. Tony pulled out a cookbook though Wanda made him put it back._

_"We got this, Stark."_

_Tony did what he could to help, however, he ended up just making a mess of the kitchen. He wasn't kidding when he said he couldn't bake. Wanda put him on clean-up duty while she decorated the cake. She covered it in red icing and drew a spider with black icing, topping it all off with a few blue sprinkles. "Ta-da!"_

_A few hours later Spider-man strode in through the front doors. He was only planning to stay for a short while. Pick up the textbooks he had forgotten here the other day, grab some food, maybe stop by the lab and see if Mr. Stark needed help with anything._

_He was definitely not expecting to find the entirety of the Avengers waiting for him in the kitchen. Tons of food had been spread out on the kitchen island, including a cake. The Avengers only ate dinner together on special occasions. Spider-man wracked his brain, trying to remember if anything important was happening today. "What's going on?" The red and blue streamers that hung across the kitchen were odd, to say the least. Everyone was staring at him and sporting big smiles. Spider-man took a step back, tightening the straps on his backpack out of nervousness._

_"Your birthday party, dude!" Clint came out of nowhere, wrapping an arm around Spidey and pulling him towards the group._

_"Th-that's today?!" Peter stammered, looking over at his father, who was leaning against the sink, glass in hand. Tony gave him a warm smile and nodded._

_"I didn't know your bug eyes could get that big," Clint laughed, poking the side of Peter's head. Spider-man shook himself, trying to force his lenses back to their normal size. He was unsuccessful._

_"Happy birthday, little spider," Natasha hugged him tightly._

_"Y-you guys really didn't have to do all this..." Spider-man stumbled over his words. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it, I really do, but you didn't-"_

_"Yes we did," Tony cut him off. "Oh, I got you a little something." He tossed Spider-man a small box. All eyes were on him as the web slinger opened it. Inside was a framed picture of him and the Avengers, taken nearly a year ago when he had first joined the team. Everyone in the picture was smiling and laughing over a game of Monopoly. Well, almost everyone. Clint was in the middle of flipping the board in anger, while Thor looked extremely confused about the entire concept of the game. Tony and Steve were throwing hotel pieces at each other. Natasha was trying to ignore everything that was happening, but a small smile was still on her lips. Happy was the one who had taken the picture, his reflection could clearly be seen in the window behind everyone._

_"Thank you," Spider-man looked up at everyone. He remembered what Tony had told him a year ago, about finding his family of choice. Turns out, the Avengers were that family. He hoped one day they would be able to meet his other self. He wanted them to be Peter Parker's family as well, not just Spider-man's. But for now, he was content._

_"Let's eat, I'm starving!" Clint declared. He still had his arm around Peter's shoulders._

* * *

  
**_NOW_ **

White light suddenly flooded the clearing. At first, Spider-man thought it was lightning, but it lasted much too long. Doc Ock cursed and loosened his grip on Spider-man. Spider-man tried to escape, unfortunately, the moment he moved, the tentacle tightened it's grip once more. Spider-man let out a strangled cry and writhed in the mud.

Above them, Iron Man was shining a flood light from his gauntlet. "Let. Him. Go." His voice roared over the rain. The suit he wore was completely different from the one he had just half an hour ago. He raised his other gauntlet, ready to fire a repulsor.

"Back off or he dies. I'm mere millimeters away from crushing his windpipe," Doc Ock threatened.

Iron Man responded by blasting the arm holding Spider-man. The blast merely dented it, causing it to loosen just enough for Spider-man to scrambled away.

Captain America's shield whizzed through the air and would have hit Ock in the head if he hadn't caught it with his mechanical limbs. "I'm starting to lose my patience." As egotistical as Doc Ock was, he knew that he had gotten lucky the first time he fought the Avengers. He would not win a second time. Especially now that he had lost the element of surprise. Spider-man lunged again, letting out what was meant to be a scream, but sounded more like a dying cat. Doc Ock quickly moved out of the way. "Don't worry, Spider-man. We will meet again. And next time I will bring some allies of my own." With that, the doctor disappeared into the trees.

Spider-man started to run after him. He didn't get very far before Steve grabbed him by the wrist, "that's enough, Peter."

Spider-man let himself fall to his knees, too exhausted to question how Steve knew his name. He rubbed his aching throat with his free hand. Iron Man knelt next to him, putting a hand over the spider on Peter's back. "Let's get you back inside."

Steve let go of Peter's wrist and offered his hand to help him up.

* * *

  
_**THREE WEEKS LATER** _

Peter tiptoed around his room, grabbing various objects and putting them in his backpack. "Change of clothes, extra suit, a fuck ton of web fluid, homework, calculator, toothbrush...aaand food money," Peter said under his breath as he dug through the bag, making sure he had everything. His suit had been washed and he donned it once more. Grabbing his mask, Peter climbed up on the window sill.

It was still early in the morning. By the time everyone woke Peter would be long gone. He opened the window and was met with a cold breeze. Spider-man shivered and decided to put on his jacket. He sat on the windowsill for another minute, looking out over the facility. The sun hadn't quite risen, the sky a pale gray. A light dusting of frost covered the ground.

Everything was completely silent. Not even the birds dare leave the warmth of their nest.

Peter went over to his desk and picked up the picture Tony had given him on his birthday. He brushed his thumb over the glass, smiling fondly at the people in the photo. They all meant the world to Peter. But they barely knew him. Spider-man was the one they really cared for, the one they had known for years before Peter Parker made a sudden appearance. Thanks to his little slip up of calling Tony "dad" during the fight with Ock, they all knew his secret identity now. For some reason, though they all still referred to him as Spider-man. Even if he wasn't wearing the costume, he was still Spider-man to the team. And as long as Spider-man was still in the compound, they were all in mortal danger. He had to go after Doc Ock himself. And put a stop to all of this before it got out of hand. Before Doc Ock acted upon his promise and brought more supervillains to the compound. Peter carefully wrapped the photo in his spare costume, not wanting the glass to break, before slipping it into his backpack.

"One more thing..." Peter took out a pen and paper and left a note on his desk. It read,

_"Going back to Queens. Don't follow._   
_-Spider-man"_

He drew an angry frowny face next to his name for good measure. Spider-man would have left a lot sooner if it hadn't been for Tony watching him like a hawk. Not to mention it wouldn't have been smart to go after a supervillain with his injuries. According to FRIDAY, he was now back to perfect health.

Slowly, Peter put on his mask, tucking the ends of it into the neck of his suit. He tightened the straps on his bag and zipped up his jacket. "Alright. Let's do this." Spider-man threw himself from the window, landing gracefully two stories below. The frost crunched under him as he sprinted across the lawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing this chapter at 10pm and now it is 2am. I said I wasn't going to write this until next week, but then I got a bunch of ideas so...ya know. 
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this one and I hope you enjoyed reading it!


	5. Not everyone likes Peter

**THREE WEEKS EARLIER**

_"This is low, Tony. Even for you," Natasha growled. She was sitting on the couch with Peter, gently dabbing at a cut on his cheek._

_Everyone knew who he was now. All because Peter couldn't keep his damn mouth shut. He had taken his mask off when they got back to the lounge. He still held it in his hands, preferring to look at its eyes rather than those of the people gathered around him. The lounge was still in shambles from the battle, and Peter and Steve had tracked mud and water everywhere._

_"Seriously, dude. You can't just adopt Spider-man and not tell us," Rhodey was fuming. "A random teenager? Okay. I can look past that. But our own teammate?"_

_Natasha gently rolled down the neck of Peter's suit, frowning at the dark bruises that ringed his throat. "Let's get some ice for that..."_

_"I was protecting his identity!" Tony shot back._

_"From who?!" Steve practically yelled. "You know damn well that we all care for Spider-man! It doesn't matter who's under the mask! We would've still protected him-"_

_"What if someone went rogue? Again?" Tony shot Steve a look._

_"Even if one of us split from the team, we would never put Spider-man in harm's way like that," Clint snapped, sounding offended that Tony would even suggest such a thing._

_Peter tightened his grip on his mask, wondering why no one referred to him as 'Peter'. Did they care more about who he was when he wore the mask? Sometimes when Peter wore his costume, he completely forgot about his other self, so he could understand if the Avengers had similar feelings towards him._

_"I would like to believe that. I really would. But I don't," Tony responded._

_"After everything we've been though? After_ everything _we've done to rebuild this team? You still don't trust us?" Bruce frowned._

_"You're one to talk, Banner," Steve muttered._

_"What? Jesus, Steve, don't bring that up now," Bruce glared at the Captain._

_"What's he talking about?" Sam asked._

_"Steve and I hacked Tony's files. We found info on Banner that I'm guessing he'd rather keep a secret," Natasha explained as she held the ice against Peter's neck._

_"You hacked my system?!" Tony was struggling to keep his voice down, the anger clear on his face. "You ask why I don't trust you. And this is exactly why!"_

_"We had to do it! You were keeping secrets about Peter and we wanted answers," Steve shrugged. "What happened to the 'no more secrets' rule?"_

_"Wait...you knew about him and didn't tell me?" The hurt was clear on Clint's face, "not cool, guys."_

_"Why don't you tell everyone the truth about who Peter is, Tony," Natasha suggested. "We saw every file you had on Spider-man. Every. single. One. You need to own up to your mistakes and start telling us the truth, Stark."_

_Tony looked murderous, "Peter is **not** a mistake."_

_"I didn't say he was," Natasha said._

_"Bullshit," Tony snarled._

_"I agree with Miss Romanov, Tony." Vision spoke up._

_"You stay out of this!" Tony snapped._

_"Did you know about Spidey?" Clint asked._

_Vision nodded, "I found out when we met Peter a few weeks ago. He shared the same voice as Spider-man. Am I the only one who noticed?"_

_"Apparently. Anyone else hiding something I ought to know about?" Steve asked. "Clint, you just have three kids right? No secret fourth child hiding in the rafters?"_

_"No, Sir."_

_"I can't believe you let your kid join the Avengers, Tony," Rhodey was still in shock, thinking of all the times Peter had nearly died in the past two years alone._

_"I can take care of myself-" Peter started but Sam cut him off._

_"The adults are talking, kid. Stay out of this."_

_"I'm almost an adult-"_

_"No, you're not."_

_"What does it matter my age? You people are talking about me and I deserve to be apart of this conversation!" Peter snapped. Even though speaking made his throat feel like it was on fire, he wasn't going to just sit back and listen. "What?!" He yelled when he noticed Clint staring at him._

_"Why didn't you tell me? You're like a little brother to me, Spidey." Clint sighed._

_Peter looked away, "none of this mattered until Doc Ock showed up."_

_"Well, it matters now. I don't think I'm okay with Spider-man remaining on the team-" Steve put in, only to be rudely cut off by Peter's father._

_"You had no problem letting a teenage join us then. He's more than earned his place on this team, and you all know it! What his last name is shouldn't make a difference," Tony pointed out. "Hell, you let him lead a mission today!"_

_"We didn't know he was a teenager at the time. You told us he was a college student who interned for you," Natasha said, still holding the ice pack to Peter's neck._

_"He used to be my intern, so that wasn't a complete lie," Tony continued to defend himself._

_"Tony. You're letting your son fight crime. In spandex," Rhodey said to him. "He almost died two weeks ago because of it. He was lucky to have that panic button with him, but like you said, you don't always know where he is. The next time something goes wrong we might not be able to save him."_

_"You've seen the armor I've made for Spidey. He refuses to wear it-"_

_"You're the parent Tony. Fucking act like it." Rhodey pinched the bridge of his nose. "Make him wear the armor or don't let him be Spider-man."_

_"It's not that easy! I'm doing my best and you know it-" Tony cut himself off when Peter abruptly stood up and walked away._

_"Spidey! Where are you going? Natasha's not done patching you up!" Clint called._

_"I'm going to wash up and go to bed." Peter stormed off down the hall. He was the reason the Avengers were arguing and was afraid his family would turn on one another if the conversation went on any longer. He knew they probably wouldn't stop arguing if he left the room. He just couldn't bear to watch them fight._

_Wanda hurried after him and took him by the arm, "we aren't mad at you. You know that right?"_

_"I know," Peter shook her off and slipped into his room, locking the door behind him._

* * *

  
**NOW**

"Dude, it's been almost two months. We thought you were dead," Michelle scooted the swivel chair closer to the bed where Peter and Ned sat. Peter had shown up at Ned's house around midnight, with no explanation other than he needed a place to stay. Ned had texted Michelle right after. She had to sneak in through the fire escape because Ned's parents were asleep.

"Sorry, I would've called. But Ned still has my phone," Peter glanced over at his long time friend, who promptly jumped up and retrieved the phone from a desk drawer.

"So...did you like...get kicked off the team?" Ned asked.

"No. Maybe? I don't know. Steve wants me off the team, Tony won't let him give me the boot." Peter leaned against the wall and hugged his knee, "either way, They found out who I am. Everyone was treating me like I was made of glass and I just needed to get out of there."

"You should fight them," Michelle suggested.

"No."

"Okay. I'll fight them."

"MJ, no."

"MJ, yes," Michelle smirked.

"So you're gonna lay low here until they calm down?" Ned asked. "I'd have to ask my mom-"

"It's just for tonight. I have some crime stopping to do," Peter assured him. "I'll be on the move for awhile."

"Do I get to be your guy in the chair again?" Ned's eyes grew large.

Peter shook his head, "this is something I have to do alone."

"Is what you're doing life threatening?" Michelle leaned forward, her eyes squinting.

"Define 'life threatening'," Peter shrugged.

"Worse than the Vulture."

"Okay. Yeah. Definitely life threatening."

"Dude. You shouldn't go in on this alone-" Ned started.

Peter shook his head, "I have too. I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of him. Especially not the Avengers. The world needs them."

"The world needs you too, Pete." Michelle reached out and took his hand. " _We_ need you."

Peter gave her a sad smile, "I'm not planning on dying."

"No one does," Michelle sighed.

"If I get in too deep I'll call you guys. I promise." Peter said, earning an unimpressed look from Michelle. "And If I get in super deep I will call the Avengers. Happy?"

"For now." Michelle let go of his hand and sat back. 

* * *

  
Peter stepped over Ned on his way out the window. The boys had given Michelle the bed, opting to sleep on the floor. It was only five AM, but Peter's friends would be getting up for school soon. He had to leave now before they tried to talk him out of this again. For the second time in the past twenty-four hours, Spider-man slipped out the window and ran off into the cold unforgiving world.

He had barely made it a mile from Ned's apartment when he heard sirens.

"Fantastic." Ditching his backpack on a roof, Peter changed direction and soon arrived at a gas station that was being robbed. The assailant wore a cheap Iron Man mask. "Really? A part city mask? Again? You criminals have no creativity." The crook growled and pulled out a gun, only for Spidey to yank it out of his hand with a web. Another person came out of nowhere and tried to punch him upside the head. "Too slow, buddy!" Spider-man dodged punch after punch.

The first robber took another weapon out of his pocket. It was a small oddly shaped gun. That happened to have parts that glowed purple.

"Aaand more glowy alien guns. Again, no creativity!" Spider-man made to web the gun when white hot pain suddenly exploded in his back. Instinctively, the wall crawler leaped to the ceiling. "Rude!" He yelled at the third robber, who was wielding a much larger alien weapon. "I don't have time for this..." Spider-man made quick work and disarming all three men and webbing them to the counter. Pissed off and sore, Spidey left them without another word. He retrieved his bag and continued web slinging across the city.

The backpack rubbed painfully against the burn on his back. Peter tightened the straps, trying to keep it from moving around so much. Once he was a safe distance away, he dropped into an alley. He roughly pulled his spare out of his bag, having forgotten about the picture frame wrapped within. "Damn it..." Peter groaned, looking sadly at the now broken fame lying at his feet. He muttered to himself under his breath as he continued the task at hand. He hadn't brought any medical supplies with him, so treating the burn would just have to wait. Thankfully, the suit had taken most of the damage, but his back still ached. It felt good to take off the torn suit, the cold air once again a welcome feeling against his bare skin. He sat hunched over for a minute, mustering up the courage to put on the other costume. With a grimace, Spider-man pulled the skin tight suit over the tender wound. Peter then turned his attention to the picture frame.

Carefully, Peter brushed the broken glass away and pried the photo out. "What the?" Something had been written on the back. Having not taken the picture out of the frame until now, he had been completely oblivious to it.

_Peter,_   
_I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what I was doing when I adopted you. I wasn't sure if it was the right decision, and I didn't think it would be fair to you to have a mess of a human being like me as your father. Funny, it turns out that you are also a mess of human being. You little shit._   
_Still, you're a good person. And I don't regret anything._   
_I know you don't really see me as a dad, but you're my kid, goddamnit. And I'll die before I let anything bad happen to you._   
_I'm glad that you were also able to find a home among the Avengers. They all love you like one of their own. So don't do anything stupid and make them worry about you, okay?_   
_Anyway, happy 17th birthday, junior. I hope this year is a good one._   
_-Tony_

_P.S. Stop webbing my tools to the ceiling. Jackass._

A small smile made its way past the pain on Peter's face. He carefully folded up the photo and tucked it into his belt. "Okay, sorry backpack. But I can't keep carrying you around." Peter webbed his bag to the side of a nearby dumpster. "I'll be back, I promise!"

* * *

  
**A Few Hours Later**

"Mr. Stark. I have found something you may want to see," The Vision floated calmly over to said man. Tony didn't seem to hear him until Vision dropped a backpack onto his lap. It was a standard tan school bag, although the tiny Star Wars pins on the straps were all too familiar.

"Where did you find this?" Tony whispered. Something was leaking from the bottom of the bag. At first, he thought it was water, but when he brushed his hand over the liquid something red smeared on his palm. Tony took a deep breath, afraid of what he might find if he opened the bag. Slowly, he unzipped it. Inside was a broken picture frame and Peter's math homework. Along with a spare Spider-man costume. The spider on the back looked as if it had been burned off. The blue fabric around the hole was charred and darkened with dried blood.

"Fuck. Where did you find this?"

"In a garbage truck. I am unsure which dumpster they picked it up from."

"Why would he throw away his backpack?" Steve frowned, getting up from his chair. The team was currently in a quinjet, which they had parked on top of an apartment building.

"Get rid of evidence?" Natasha suggested, "or more likely, it was just weighing him down."

"Guess we know why the tracker went out..." Tony sighed. He had hidden it in the spider on the back. Everyone had panicked when the signal was suddenly lost a few hours ago. The tracker had also been broadcasting Peter's vitals. Watching Peter's heart beat flat line was stressful, to say the least. Tony felt like he had aged ten years in the past hour alone.

"Tony! I got a Spidey sighting!" Bruce called, motioning to a monitor. Several people had tweeted that about seeing Spider-man leave town atop a semi truck. One even had a blurry photo to prove it.

"FRIDAY, find out where that truck's heading," Tony ordered.

* * *

  
**Slightly later, elsewhere**

Spider-man leaped off a semi, landing silently in the grass. An abandoned gas station stood not far away. He had been here before, two years ago when he had been after the Vulture. "Never thought I'd be back here..." Peter said under his breath.

Sneaking into the station wasn't difficult. Getting through the trap door in the back room was. It was made of metal and had a heavy duty locking system. After several tries, Peter gave up and ripped the door off its hinges. A long ladder led down into a dark pit. Faint voices made their way up to the Wallcrawler. A soft blue light shone from the very bottom. Silently, Spider-man slid down the ladder until the pit opened up into a large room. From there, Spidey moved onto the ceiling.

The room was filled with heavily armed men and women. All clad in black. They appeared to be having some sort of meeting. All were gathered around the center of the room, their attention completely focused on whoever was standing in the center of the circle.

Spider-man crept forward, trying to get a better view of what was happening. He clenched his jaw when he saw who was standing in the middle of the circle.

Doc Ock. And at his side was none other than the Vulture himself.

"I understand what you're saying, Octavius. But we can't attack their facility again. We won't have the element of surprise if we do that." Adrian said. Several people around him nodded and whispered their agreement.

"Our 'boss' has their heart set on this mission. I agree with you, but we aren't exactly in charge here," Octavius pointed out. "Where is that bastard anyway? He should be here to discuss this with all of us. We can't take down the Avengers without proper communication."

Spider-man's lenses stretched wide. How did Toomes get out of prison? Were these people seriously planning to take down the Avengers? He had thought Doc Ock was just after him. Whatever was going on, Peter was in way over his head. The logical thing to do would be to get the hell out of there and call the Avengers for back up. Unfortunately, Spider-man's thought process didn't quite work like that. He let himself drop down from the ceiling. He kept to the shadows as he slowly crept towards the group.

The Vulture spoke again, "he made it very clear that he wouldn't meet us in person until we gave him Spider-man. And thanks to your fuck up a few weeks ago-"

"I couldn't win that battle and escape with Spider-man still breathing. You know that, Toomes."

"You should have tried harder. The deal was his help in return for Spider-man-"

"I know damn well what the deal was. I also know that this person claims to be an Avenger. Why hire someone else to kidnap Spider-man when they could just do it at any point? Surely they're constantly around each other. This whole thing smells fishy to me."

Spider-man tensed. Someone in the Avengers...someone in his family...had hired Doc Ock to kidnap him?

"They might not be on good terms with Spider-man. Look, I'm not going to question a fucking Avenger-" Toomes cut himself off when he spotted a splotch of red against black. "He's here."

All eyes suddenly turned in Spider-man's direction.

"Hey guys, I'm looking for the bathroom. Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere?" Spider-man scratched the back of his neck. Someone cocked their gun. "you guys aren't big on jokes, huh? Pity." Spider-man took a defensive stance.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like we have a traitor in our midst!   
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Tony Struggles With Parenting Pt 2

"Wait. I know this place...Steve, land the jet!" Tony was currently leaning against the pilot's chair. He shook Steve's shoulder, urging him to do as he said. They had been following the semi's route for a while and were almost caught up with it. A very familiar abandon gas station popped up on the horizon.

"But the semi-"

"Forget the semi! This is where Peter is." Tony said.

"You sure, Tony?" Steve had his doubts although he landed the jet in an empty lot anyway.

Tony nodded before slipping his helmet on. "Spider-man's old suit, the one that had an AI, recorded everything he saw. I remember seeing this place back when the vulture was causing problems. If Spidey's going after the same people as before, then this would've been his first stop." Tony lead the team across the street. Natasha and Clint stuck to the bushes, planning to lay low until Steve called them in for back up. Steve fell in to step with Tony, shield at the ready. War Machine and the Falcon weren't far behind.

The vision was about to follow however Bruce called his name. "I need to talk to you." Then adding in a whisper, "in private."

"Can this wait, Doctor Banner? Young Peter's life may be at stake," Vision remained floating at the exit, motioning behind him with one hand.

"This is about Peter."

The Vision tilted his head, now intrigued.

"I think someone on the team wants him dead."

Vision moved closer to the doctor, "you are saying that this is a trap? We must inform Captain Rogers-"

"No!" Bruce said a bit too harshly. He swallowed and lowered his voice, "no. We don't know who we can trust."

"Why tell me then?"

Bruce shrugged, "you can lift Thor's hammer. You're the only decent person among us. Listen, I don't know exactly who is after Peter. But I have a theory..."

Meanwhile, Iron Man dropped down the trap door, landing with a heavy metallic clang. War Machine landed next to him with an even heavier thud.

"Alright nobody move!!" Rhodey yelled, the machine gun on his back flipped onto his shoulder and locked into place.

"Looks like that won't be a problem..." Tony lowered both his repulsors. Bodies littered the floor, all still alive, but unconscious or trapped in webbing.

"Tony, what's it look like down there?" Steve asked over the comms.

"A whole lot of nothing. Well, there is something. No kid, though." Tony muttered.

"Spidey was definitely here, Cap," Rhodey answered. "Everyone can come on down."

A few moments later the entire team, except for Bruce, was in the underground room. "I don't see anything that suggests Spidey was hurt," Natasha reported. She knelt down next to a man that was webbed to the floor. The man stared up at her with fear in his eyes.

"Kicking ass and fleeing the scene. That's Spidey for ya," Clint poked an unconscious person with his bow. "Should we keep following that semi? He probably continued in that direction after this."

"You bastards are too late. They got him." The man next to Natasha sneered. "Spider-man's done for."

"Who got him?" Natasha frowned.

"Toomes and Octavius. Who else?" The man spat.

"Toomes? I thought he was in jail?" Rhodey glanced over at Tony.

"He was..." Tony stormed over to the man. "Where did they take him?"

"Good question." The man shrugged.

Tony pointed a repulsor at his head, "You have five seconds to tell me where."

"I don't know."

"Four." Tony took a step closer to him.

"Seriously, man I don't know-"

"Three!"

The man's eyes widened and he squirmed against the webs, desperately trying to get away. "Stark! I swear-"

"TWO." Tony boomed.

"Tony, he doesn't know!" Natasha tried to reason with him.

"TELL ME WHERE MY SON IS!!" Tony roared, the repulsor glowing.

War Machine snacked his arm down, the sudden movement shocked Stark and caused him to fire a shot. The man shrieked when the ground exploded just inches away from his arm. "You need to calm down," Rhodey said to his friend.

"I'll calm down when I'm dead," Tony snapped before flying back up through the trapped door.

* * *

Peter slowly pried open his eyes. "Ow..." His head was pounding in such a way that he wasn't sure if it was his spider sense, a head injury, or both. All he knew was that he was curled up in a small plastic box. A metal grate blocked the exit to said box. Wait. Was he in a dog crate? Peter groaned. Clint would never let him live this down if he found out.

Spidey shifted around and discovered that his wrists were bound behind his back. His ankles were in a similar state. His costume provided little protection from the cold metal. Tired crackled as they rolled over gravel. It was had to tell in the dark, but he was fairly certain he was in the back of a truck. The only source of light in the cramped area came from the faint red glow emitted by the cuffs.

The truck rolled to a stop. The pounding in Peter's head caused him to pass out once more.

* * *

When Peter woke again he was strapped to a table. He tried to sit up, but the restraints holding him refused to budge. The same red glow as before lined the edges of the straps.

A figure made their way across the room and yanked Peter's mask off. Peter sighed in relief when he recognized the person standing over him. "Oh thank Odin...I was afraid you guys wouldn't find me...can you get me out of these things?" Peter did his best to motion to the straps.

"No," the person frowned.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm the one who put those there," they reached over and picked up a scalpel.

Peter's blood ran cold, "w-what do you mean? Hey! What are you doing?!" His spider sense was screaming at him to run. 'Great advice,' he thought bitterly.

The person pressed the scalpel against the inside of Peter's forearm. "Try not to scream too much. Okay? I don't have the patience for it."

"Cut me with that shit and you can bet your ass I will scream until my lungs give out," Peter spat.

"Maybe I should put you back under..." The person looked over at the now empty IV bag connected to Peter. "Just so you know, you've been unconscious for nearly three days. I would've been here sooner if Stark hadn't insisted on searching for you for days on end."

"Three days?!" Peter gasped.

"That's what I said," the Avenger frowned. "It took quite a bit of resource to keep you asleep for three days, so I'd rather not put you back under. Just hold still while I work."

"Oooooor you could just let me go? I won't tell anyone about this, I promise. Just let me go." Peter begged, panic spreading through his body. He did his best to sound cheerful as he continued, "I'm you're buddy, aren't I? Your pal? Your friendly friend? Please don't kill me. That would suck."

"We're not friends, Parker. We never were. I've been waiting a long time for this moment. I'm not going to let you go. Besides, we both know you wouldn't be able to keep your mouth shut." They said. "Maybe I should sew it shut. Or cut out your tongue. Which would you prefer?"

Peter gulped. "Is there a third option?"

* * *

  
**Three AM, Avengers Facility**

Natasha paced around the kitchen back at the compound. A large fuzzy blanket was wrapped tightly around his shoulders. They had searched for Peter for three days before deciding to take a short break. Some of the team were able to sleep due to pure exhaustion, she, on the other hand, had only been able to get a few minutes of shut eye. How could she sleep knowing her little spider had been captured by the enemy? Possibly hurt, scared...even dying...

Natasha stopped in her tracks and shook herself. Peter dying was not something she wanted to think about.

"Have you seen Stark?" Someone asked and flicked on the kitchen lights.

Natasha yelped and spun around, pulling a gun seemingly out of thin air and pointing it at the intruder. Steve instantly threw his hands in the air and took several steps back.

"Don't sneak up on me..." Natasha relaxed ever so slowly. She put the gun down on the kitchen table.

"Sorry. I'm looking for Tony. He isn't in his room or in the lab. He needs sleep."

"So do we."

"He's emotionally and physically exhausted. I can't allow him to pilot his armor like this," Steve put his hands on his hips.

"I understand. I think he's outside."

It didn't take long for Steve to find his teammate. The man was sitting on the front steps with a drink in one hand and a cell phone in the other.

"Tony..."

"He's still not answering," Tony whispered. "I got ahold of that girl. Michelle, was it? Peter's really close to her so I thought she would know...but she hasn't seen him. Neither has Ned. And he hasn't been to school. And the little bastard won't answer his damn phone."

Steve took a seat next to him, sitting so close that their legs were almost touching. "We'll find him. For now, you really need to get some sleep."

"I can't."

"Tony, please. We'll be heading back out in ten hours and I need you...oh my god..." Steve suddenly bolted to his feet.

"What?" Tony looked up to see Spider-man slowly limping across the lawn. Dark liquid ran down his forearms and dripped from his fingers. Spider-man swayed, about to fall over. "PETER!!" Tony rushed forward and caught Spider-man right before he hit the ground. He pulled his son close, cradling him in his arms. "Peter..."

Steve was at his side in an instant. "How bad is it?!"

"Bad..." Tony choked out. Peter tried to say something but it came out muffled. Tony reached for Peter's mask only for the teen to grab the fabric and hold it tightly in place. After playing tug of war with the mask for a solid minute, Tony successfully yanked it off.

"Fuck..." Steve felt like he was going to be sick.

Someone had stitched Peter's mouth shut. Dried blood covered his chin and lips. Peter covered his face his with hands, his shoulders wracking with sobs.

"Shhh...shh...you're safe now, Petey. You're safe. We're gonna get you fixed up, okay?" Tony soothed, brushing a hand through Peter's hair.

Steve eased Peter's hands away from his face and used a pocket knife to cut the thread from his lips. "Who did this to you, son?"

Before Peter could answer, his eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp in Tony's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this time!
> 
> This chapter originally suuuuper long, but I decided to cut it into three parts to build suspense. Plus I didn't want to give away our traitor too soon...


	7. Peter is a bad driver pt. 1

"He gave me a choice. Sew my mouth shut or cut out my tongue. And I'm rather fond of my tongue, so ya know," Peter chuckled weakly. His fingers curled tightly around the comforter. The web slinger had never been so happy to be back in his own room.

Thankfully, Peter's injuries hadn't been as bad as they initially looked. So Bruce had been the one to tend to Peter's wounds, as opposed to the Avengers personal medical team. His forearms and wrists looked like they had been dissected. Thankfully, that was the worst of it. Other than of course, the tiny holes in Peter's lips from the thread. "Who gave you the choice?" Bruce frowned. "You still haven't told us who did this to you."

Peter paled.

"Peter? Who did this?" Bruce pressed.

"I...he...I don't know...I...didn't get a good look at his face," Peter's voice got quieter with every word. He looked around the room, eyeing each and every avenger like a deer caught in headlights.

"You're lying," Natasha moved closer to Peter. She had been furious when she heard someone had sewn his mouth shut. Whoever did that to her little spider was going to pay with their life.

Peter hid his face in his hands. Tony sighed and patted his shoulder. "Tell us when your ready, kiddo. No rush."

"Peter, we just want to help. You trust us right?" Bruce sat on the edge of the bed, his eyebrows knit together. He reached out to touch Peter's other shoulder.

"Don't!!" Peter slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me..."

"Right, sorry." Bruce pulled back. For some reason, Peter had been really jumpy around the entire team. He trusted Tony, that much was clear. However, he lashed out at anyone else who got near him. Bruce was just thankful the kid had been unconscious long enough to clean up his wounds.

"Banner's not gonna hurt you, Pete," Steve said.

"Banner can go fuck himself," Peter hissed.

"Peter!" Cap scolded.

Peter glared at him out of the corner of his eye. "Fuck you, too, Steve."

"Not cool, kid," Sam gave Peter a disapproving look.

Bruce held up his hand, "it's okay. He's under a lot of stress. We should all leave and let him get some rest." The team murmured in agreement and started to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere." Tony pulled Peter's desk chair up to the bed and took a seat beside his son.

"Suit yourself," Bruce said before exiting the room.

Steve came back a few hours later to check on Peter. He sighed in relief when he saw the teen fast asleep.

Tony was stroking his hair comfortingly. Without looking up he whispered, "I promised him that nothing bad would ever happen to him. That I'd protect him." Tony took in a shaky breath. "Look at him, Steve. Someone went and stitched up my boy's mouth and I wasn't there to stop it."

"Tony...there was nothing you could have done."

"There was so much I could have done. So very much..." Tony was close to tears. Steve put a hand on his back, not sure what else to do.

* * *

Peter twirled his pencil in between his fingers. His math homework lay unfinished in front of him. Two days had passed since he had escaped. And this was the first time he had been left alone. Natasha, Tony, and Steve had been taking turns watching over him up until now. He leaned back in his chair and stretched. The building was so quiet that he could hear the hum of the heating system. He found the steady sound comforting.

"Mr. Parker, Doctor Banner has requested your presence in the medical wing," FRIDAY announces over the intercom.

"Tough luck. I'm not going anywhere without Tony," Peter scribbled in the corner of the worksheet as he spoke.

"Doctor Banner needs to change your bandages," FRIDAY reminded him.

"Tell him I'm working on homework." Peter snapped. FRIDAY fell silent. After a few minutes of no reply, Peter got up and went to the kitchen to look for food. He knew there was pizza in the freezer, provided Clint hadn't eaten it already. "There you are!" Peter smiled as he pulled out the pizza and closed the freezer door. "Shit!" He yelped, having not expected there to be someone standing right behind said door.

"Good morning, Peter. Pizza for breakfast? Not the healthiest choice." The Avenger spoke. The same Avenger who had tortured him just two days ago.

"I've survived worse," he glared daggers at his former friend.

The Avenger smiled at that, "you're a tough kid. But Stark can't protect you forever. Not like he was doing a very good job of it in the first place."

"He's not here. If your gonna do something, do it. Or leave me alone." Peter shouldered past them and practically threw the pizza into the microwave.

"Cameras are the only thing really stopping me. I switched off the audio so we could chat."

"Chat? You're the last person I want to talk to right now." Peter slammed the microwave door shut and punched in the numbers so hard he nearly cracked the screen.

"Don't be so bitter, Pete. You should be thanking me. I gave you organic webbing."

"You...what?!" Peter looked down at his heavily bandaged forearms.

"Organic webbing," the Avenger repeated themselves. "It took a bit of prodding to alter your spider genetics. And also a bit of cutting up the muscles in your arm to make room. Your new organs are still developing. Still, you should be back to web slinging in no time."

Peter stared at his wrists in horror, "you sick bastard...why?! I didn't ask for this!!" In any other situation, having organic webbing would've been cool. But the fact that Peter had been forcefully operated on by someone he once considered a friend...he felt like he was going to puke.

"I know. But it's necessary." The Avenger took a step towards him. Peter stepped back and bumped into the counter. "It's time for the Avengers to end, Peter. You're going to help me take them down. Along with Octavius and Toomes, of course. You'll be needing organic webbing when that day comes."

"What makes you think I would help you?! Sewing someone's mouth shut pretty much guarantees they won't be your ally," Peter pointed out.

"Not to worry," they reached out and cupped Peter's face, causing him to flinch. "In time you will see things my way. Together we will build a new team. A stronger one."

The microwave dinged and Peter quickly pulled away from the Avenger. He retrieved his Pizza and ran.

Elsewhere, Tony was watching their interaction through the security cameras. At first, it looked like Peter was having a friendly conversation with a teammate. However, the way he booked it as soon as his pizza was ready, lead Tony to believe that the conversation was not all that friendly.

Tony decided right then and there that Peter needed to get out of the compound. And so, less than an hour later, Peter found himself in the passenger's seat of Tony's car. Tony had announced it was "father and son bonding time" and stuck Peter in the car before the teen could protest.

"Where are we going?" Peter was slumped down in the seat, his feet up on the dash. Usually, Tony would have shoved his feet off and scolded him. Yet Tony just couldn't bring himself to do so.

"Don't know. Where do you want to go, kiddo?" Tony asked, not taking his eyes off the road. "How about the zoo?"

"I'm seventeen. Not five," Peter huffed. He tugged the hood of his jacket down over his eyes.

"You still love animals. The zoo has a new exhibit on creepy crawlies. You'll fit right in." Tony reached over and poked his cheek. Peter made an offended noise, causing Tony to chuckle, "okay, bug boy. No zoo. What about the movies?"

Peter straightened up, "is _Planet of the Apes_ still playing?"

"I think so," Tony smiled, rerouting the GPS for the nearest theater.

Tony honestly had no idea what was going on in the movie. Something about talking monkeys taking over the world and using sign language. There were a lot of explosions for a movie about talking animals. Of course, Peter loved every minute of it. The web slinger was practically skipping out of the theater afterward, rambling on about the series as a whole. There are more of these ape movies?! Tony mentally groaned. The kid was happy, so Tony didn't complain. He hadn't seen his son smile like that in awhile. Seeing it brought a smile to Tony's own face.

They ended up walking a few blocks to get hot chocolate. It was almost November, and the skies were covered with threatening gray clouds. Tony wasn't sure if they brought rain or snow. He peeled his eyes away from the sky when he heard Peter hiss in pain.

"You okay?"

"Yeah...hot liquid doesn't mix well with a sore mouth." Peter motioned to his face. Tony had been trying to ignore the red marks around his mouth, but now he was forced to look. They had been healing fairly well. Though a few might leave small scars in their wake. Only time would tell. Peter took the lid off his cup and used it to fan the hot drink. "Slug bug!" He suddenly punched Tony in the arm. A second later, a bright yellow VW bug rolled down the street in front of the cafe. "No slug backs."

Tony snorted, "you're such a child."

"And you're still technically older than Steve," Peter smirked.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Good thing your sass made it out in one piece. What would the world do without it?"

"Cry for days, I'm sure," Peter continued to fan his drink.

Tony looked down at his own drink, turning the cup around in his hands. "Peter?"

"Hm?"

"Seriously, are you okay?"

"All things considered? No. I'm not okay. But I'm making the best of it." Peter stopped fanning his drink and looked out the window.

"About last night..." Tony whispered. Peter had woken up screaming multiple times last night, causing Tony to come running from his lab every time. Peter was inconsolable after whatever nightmares he had just experienced, and Tony could do nothing but hold his son in his arms until he cried himself back to sleep. "I have nightmares, too. Comes free with the purchase of a lifetime supply of PTSD."

Peter kept his eyes glued to the window, mouth clamped shut.

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you," Tony assured him.

"I know. Just not right now. Okay?"

"Okay."

Peter took a small sip of his drink, his eyes still fixed on the world outside the window.

"Did Happy ever take you to get your driver's permit?" Tony asked.

"Yup."

"Great. It's time you learned how to drive, anyway." Tony found an empty parking lot and switched seats with Peter. He briefly explained the controls and then sat back, slipping on a pair of sunglasses.

Peter fumbled around with the keys, terrified that he would wreck Tony's car. The car was probably worth more than his entire life. Finally, Peter got the car turned on and started rolling across the parking lot. It was a bumpy start, to say the least. Peter kept slamming on the breaks too hard or putting too much pressure on the gas. Once he almost hit a light pole. Almost.

Tony made a few sarcastic comments here and there, but otherwise, let Peter figure out things himself. "I'm for the 'throw the kid in the pool' style of teaching," He had said when Peter asked him if he was doing it right, "if you don't drown, then you're probably doing it right."

"This is very different from swimming, Tony!" Peter countered. "Where are the headlights at?"

Tony just laughed. "you're doing fine, Pete. Don't worry about the headlights right now."

After about an hour of nonsense, Peter parked the car and let Tony take over.

"Let's go get some lunch. What would you like?" Tony smiled. He started the car only for Peter to reach over and turn off the ignition. Tony gave him a questing look. Peter took a deep, shaky breath before telling Tony everything. Who had hurt him, why and what they had really done to his arms. Every last detail. Even the part about being transported in a dog crate.

Tony went completely rigid, unable to say anything even after Peter had finished. He took off the sunglasses and looked Peter dead in the eye. "Your sure it was them?"

Peter nodded slowly

Tony was silent for another minute before punching the dashboard. "FUCK." Peter jumped at his sudden outburst. "FRIDAY?"

"Yes, boss?" The AI chirped from the car's radio.

"Assemble the Avengers. Emergency meeting at the facility. Now." Tony ordered.

"What shall I tell them the meeting is about?" FRIDAY asked.

"They don't need to know yet. Peter and I will be there to explain soon..." Tony responded, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

* * *

"So, what's all this about?" Steve asked when Tony burst through the door, Peter not far behind. The team had wasted no time in gathering in the conference room.

Tony had only been in the room for .5 seconds before decking Bruce in the face. Bruce stumbled back in shock. He threw up his hands to try and defend himself as Tony started wailing on him, knocking him to the floor and punching the ever loving shit out of him.

"HEY!!" Steve yelled, pulling the scientists apart with the help of Sam.

"Maybe I ought to sew _your_ mouth shut!! How would you like that, you son of a bitch?!" Tony roared, thrashing against Steve's hold, wanting nothing more than to rip out Bruce's throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp.
> 
> I decided to go ahead and reveal the traitor. Also, I like writing little snippets of Peter and Tony bonding so you can expect to see a lot more of that in the future.  
> As always, thank you for reading! :)
> 
> Next up: the smack down of the century.


	8. The Truth

"You seriously think I'm the one who hurt your son? That's a pretty serious accusation to make, Stark." Banned slowly got to his feet, using the table to support himself. Blood dripped from his now broken nose.

"Peter told me everything," Tony snarled. All eyes turned to the teen in question.

"Spidey? Are you sure it was him?" Clint whispered, not wanting to believe it. Bruce was one of the kindest people he had met. Sure he had some pretty serious anger issues, but he always viewed Banner as a 'wouldn't hurt a fly' type of guy.

"No fucking way, Bruce wouldn't..." Sam stumbled over his words, "he's a good guy, Bruce wouldn't..."

Natasha stared at Bruce in a mix of shock and pain. "Tell me it's not true...tell me you would never hurt Peter."

"It is," Peter answered for him, glaring at the scientist. "He's the one who experimented on me." He pulled up his sleeves, showing off his heavily bandaged arms. "He wasn't the one who sewed my mouth shut, though. That was Wanda." Peter screwed his eyes shut, unable to stop replaying the memory in his mind. The memory of Bruce holding him down while Wanda slowly approached him with a needle and thread... Peter shook himself, not wanting to think about that ever again.

"You little...I knew I should have cut out your tongue instead..." Bruce spat.

"Wait, what?!" Rhodey gasped in horror. "Wanda's in on this?!"

This time, it was Clint's turn to lunge at Bruce, knocking him over and putting him in a choke hold. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't snap your neck right now!!"

"Clint let him go!" Steve ordered, "let Banner explain himself. Surely there's a logical reason behind this. Peter, are you sure it was Bruce? He was the one who patched you up when we found you-wait, where is Wanda?"

The Scarlet Witch herself was the only Avenger not present in the room.

"Widow. Falcon. Vision. Go find Wanda. Hawk Eye, War Machine, you guys take Bruce to the interrogation room." Steve ordered, his voice calm, even though he was losing his shit on the inside.

"Why don't we just kill Brucy-boy right now?" Clint growled.

"We can't do that. Especially not without all the facts," Steve reminded him. "Also there's the other guy we still have to worry about..." Bruce was starting to look a bit green around the edges. "Tony, stay with Peter. Keep him safe if Wanda shows up." Steve finally let go of Tony. "I'll let SHIELD know of the situation.

It took every ounce of will power Tony had to not attack Bruce the second he was free. "Don't have to tell me twice." Tony stood protectively in front of Peter. Clint and Natasha were already running off down the hallway, while Sam and Rhodey drug Bruce in the opposite direction.

"Vision? Did you not hear me? Go find Wanda," Steve repeated.

"I heard you, Captain Rogers. I am...in shock...over Wanda's actions." Vision looked sadly at Steve.

"We all are, buddy," Steve sighed. He was about to say something else but was cut off by a roar echoing throughout the building. "Hulk..." He gulped. "Change of plans, Tony get your armor ready."

"What about Peter?"

Steve spoke directly to Peter, "get suited up, Kid. I don't want you in this fight, but I don't think it will be possible for you to sit this one out.

Peter nodded and darted off, his father not far behind. "Iron Spider time?" He asked.

"Sure, now you wanna put on the Iron Spider suit," Tony said sarcastically.

"Learning from my mistakes!"

"Learn a little faster!" Tony barked, kicking open the door to the lab. Pieces of his armor were already flying towards him. Peter leaped over a table and slid under another. He jumped back onto his feet when he reached a silver case on the other side of the room. The case flipped open upon Peter's verbal command. The Iron Spider suit was folded neatly within.

In the distance, the Hulk roared again. Gun shots followed immediately after.

"Karen just gave me Hulk's location! He's in the training room! I'm going to attack from behind!" Spider-man called. Iron Man looked over his shoulder just in time to see the web slinger slip out the window.

"Guess I'll face him head on. Again," Tony said, calling extra pieces to his armor. "FRIDAY, ready every single one of my suits. This one isn't going to last long."

Elsewhere, Wanda watched from the viewing window in the training hall. She smiled at the chaos far below. War Machine was flying towards Hulk. Before his fists made contact with the giant, Wanda flicked her fingers. Red light grabbed War Machine by the ankle and flung him through a wall.

"Wanda. Why are you doing this?" Steve stood in the doorway, the look on his face resembling that of a kicked puppy. "I thought we were your family?"

"Stark killed my family," Wanda spat, not taking her eyes off the battle below. Spider-man had just entered the fight. The extra limbs on the back of his suit helped him to maneuver around the Hulk as he shot webbing. "Why should Stark get to have a family?" She flicked her hands again, shooting a ball of red energy right at Spider-man. It struck him in the head causing him to freeze. The Hulk raised his fists, about to bring them down on the lanky teen.

"NO! WANDA, HE'S JUST A KID!!" Steve screamed. To his relief, Spider-man jumped out of the way just in time. He swung up and perched on Hulk's shoulder, but made no move to attack.

"You seriously thought I was going to kill him? Don't be stupid. I'm going to use him to kill Stark." Wanda glared at the Captain. "I want Stark to know true pain. The agony of losing a family member. I want to watch him be torn apart, mentally and physically by the person he cares about most. I want to see the look of torment in his eyes as his own son rips out his heart."  
  
"That's messed up, Wanda," Steve was still trying to reason with her. "I get that you're upset, but this is not the way-OOF!" Wanda had launched him back. She waved her hands and disappeared in a flash of red.

"Spidey! What are you doing?! Don't just sit there!" Iron Man shouted. Spider-man's head whipped in Tony's direction. His lenses narrowed right before he lunged. "What the fuck!! Get off!" Tony spun around in mid air. Spider-man ripped off Iron Man's face plate as well as part of the shoulder.

_**CRASH** _

Steve broke the window to the viewing room and jumped down, using his shield to break the fall. "WANDA HAS CONTROL OF PETER!!!" He screamed, running toward the fray.

"Yeah, we noticed..." Clint shot an arrow at the wall crawler. It exploded next to his head. Spider-man yelped and let go of Iron Man. He flipped backward and landed in a crouch, angrily hissing at Clint. "Hissing? Seriously, Bug Boy?"

"My fight's not with you. Stay out of this, Clint." Peter snarled.

Clint shrugged and readied another arrow. "You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us."

"Go for the web shooters!" Tony called, keeping a safe distance from Peter. FRIDAY sent a spare faceplate zooming across the room. It snapped into place upon arrival, extra parts for the damaged shoulder not far behind.

"Come down and fight me you, coward!" Peter waved a fist at Tony.

"Yeeeaaah, no. I'd rather not." Iron Man turned his attention back to the Hulk. "Do what you gotta do, Junior Birdman." He called to Clint. Spider-man tried web slinging up to Iron Man, but his web was cut by Cap's shield.

Wanda frowned. "Let's move things, along..." She snapped her fingers, sparks flying from the tips. Pointing her fingers at the far wall she snapped them again, sending the sparks shooting right at it.

**_BOOM_ **

Everyone, including the Hulk, was knocked to the ground. Tony jolted into a sitting position when he heard the crackling of fire. "Fuck...who did that?!" Flames had emerged from the freshly made hole in the wall and were quickly eating up the area around it.

"Ugh..." Spider-man rolled onto his hands and knees, pressing his forehead into the floor. The ringing in his ears was enough to make him pass out. Looking over, he saw Iron Man sitting no more than five feet away from him. "YOU!!" Spider-man ignored the pounding in his head and attacked Iron Man. Tony yelped in surprise and tried to get air born, but one of Spidey's extra limbs stabbed his boot, destroying the thruster within. Tony ducked out of a punch just in time. The ground where his head had just been made an awful crunching sound. He shoved both hands into Peter's chest and blasted him several feet back. Peter threw out a hand, catching himself on the floor before he was knocked too far back.

"I know teenage rebellion is a thing, but this is getting out of hand, Spidey!" Tony got to his feet and took a defensive stance. At this point, the entire room was engulfed in fire. The flames were no doubt spreading to the rest of the building. Spidey backed into the smoke. "FRIDAY, where is he?!"

"I can't get a lock on him, boss. The explosion is messing with my sensors," FRIDAY apologized.

Tony got his answer moments later when Spider-man kicked him in the back of the head. What happened next was all a blur. Suddenly Spider-man had flipped in front of him and...

" _TONY_!!" Steve screamed.

Blinding white pain ripped through Tony's very being. It was so much that he couldn't even muster up a cry of pain. He looked down to see one of the Iron Spider's extra limbs impaled just under his rib cage. It had broken right through Tony's own armor. FRIDAY assured him that the wound wasn't deep enough to be concerning, but Tony thought otherwise, judging by the pain. Spider-man ripped the limp away with a sickly squelch. Blood spewed down the front of the Iron Man suit.

Tony fell to his knees, his hands gingerly touching the wound. He scrambled backward when Spider-man started walking towards him. His white lenses betraying no emotion. The fire behind him created a strong shadow over his entire form. Blood dripped from his clenched fists, having no doubt reopened the cuts in his arms after web slinging. The four extra appendages raised above his head, about to go for the kill. "Don't do this..." Tony's armor clunked against the wall. There was nowhere left for him to run. Tony's helmet folded back into his suit. He looked up at his son, trying not to let the fear show on his face. "You're not a killer, Peter."

"I am," Spider-man's lenses narrowed. "I've already killed two people. One more won't matter."

"No! You're not a killer! You didn't kill your Aunt and Uncle. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You don't have any blood on your hands and I won't allow you to get any!" Tony shot back. "Wanda's messing with your head. This isn't you. You need to fight whatever she's telling you to do!"

Spider-man fell silent, his extra limbs lowering. For a moment, Tony thought he had gotten through to Peter. Then Peter shot forward and wrapped his hands around Tony's throat. Tony clawed at Spider-man's hands, gasping for air. The bug eyes of Peter's mask were just inches from his own. For a brief moment, Tony's vision went black.

"That's enough!"

_**CLANG** _

Air flooded into Tony's lungs. He doubled over, gasping in the sweet oxygen. The Avenger looked up to see Steve standing over him, shield in hand. "W-what hap-? Where's Peter?"

Steve pointed towards the other side of the room. "I hit him with the shield and he went flying that way." Tony followed where he was pointing. He could just barely make out a dark shadow in the fire. A shadow was quickly moving towards them. "He's coming back! Can you fight?!" Steve hauled Tony to his feet.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Tony grunted. He couldn't see any of the other Avengers, but he could hear the Hulk roaring. A split second later, Spider-man leaped out of the flames, letting out a shriek of anger.

"Don't kill him too soon. Make him suffer. And make him know you did it." Wanda's voice spoke in the back of Peter's head. "I want to hear him _screaming_. I want you to make him _beg you_ to spare his life."

"I will," Peter promised aloud. He went for Steve first, disarming him and engaging in a fist fight. It was almost too easy. Before, Peter had been holding back out of fear of hurting his friends. But this wasn't sparring practice anymore. This was life or death and Peter planned on being the one to live. Tony came to Steve's aid, unfortunately, his attacks were too slow. Spider-man dodged and countered each blow. It wasn't long before Tony's suit was in shambles. When FRIDAY tried to send new parts, Spider-man was always there to make sure Tony didn't get them.

Iron Man flew up a few feet in the air and crashed down into Spider-man's back, flattening him on the floor. He flinched at the sound of Peter crying out in pain. Tony prayed his actions hadn't caused any broken ribs. He took hold of two of the extra spider arms and ripped them off. Steve rushed forward to help. He had a third limb halfway torn when Peter twisted around and punched him in the shin. Hard. Steve fell back, his leg clearly broken. Spider-man made a move to go for Tony's remaining rocket boot. Tony had no choice but to jump back.

Spider-man flipped into the air and webbed Steve to the ground.

Tony lunged for Spidey only to be batted to the floor. Spider-man ripped open Iron Man's chest piece, causing sparks to rain down on both men.

"Tony..." Steve choked out, powerless to do anything but watch as Spider-man grabbed Tony by the shirt and raised him up out of the suit. His feet barely brushed the ground. Tony looked absolutely defeated. Spider-man raised his one remaining spider arm. It was poised to strike at Tony's throat. He looked down at Peter, his eyes empty.

"Do what you have to do, Peter," Tony gave him a sad smile. "I forgive you."

Wanda bunched up her fists in anger. Going out with a smile on his face? This was not how Tony Stark was supposed to die. Maybe she needed something more than brute force to truly break Stark?

Peter's voice shook, "I-I don't want to do this..." Wanda's spell was faltering.

"Then don't." Tony continued smiling, "you can fight this."

Peter lowered Tony to the ground, his hands still balled up in the bloodied fabric of Tony's shirt.

Another blast of red energy hit Spider-man upside the head. He rolled his shoulders and looked down at Tony with a renewed anger. But...he let go. Tony sprawled back onto what was left of his armor.

Spider-man turned and walked towards Wanda. The witch slipped an arm around his shoulders, saying, "you did good, Peter. I think I'll have you finish him off another time, though..." The two walked off into the smoke.

Rhodey suddenly landed next to Tony, the noise he made when he landed caused Tony to flinch. "Hulk's gone, Banner got away...what the hell happened to you guys?"

"Spider-man," Steve muttered, still trapped under a web. "I thought that much was clear."

"Is everyone else safe?" Tony whispered.

"I'm not sure...I just know everyone but you guys got out when the fire spread so I came back for you." Rhodey sighed. He cut Steve free and guided the two men outside. The rest of the Avengers were sprawled out on the lawn.

Spider-man and Wanda were heading for the landing pad, where a quinjet awaited them. The ramp lowered, revealing everyone's current least favorite scientist. Bruce motioned for them to hurry up.

"PETER!!" Tony screamed, breaking into a coughing fit right after doing so.

Spider-man stopped and looked back at his family. Steve and Tony were leaning against one another for support. Rhodey was next to Tony, checking on his injuries. Natasha was lying out on her back, coughing violently due to breathing in too much smoke. Clint kneeled over her, blood dripping from a gash in his forehead. Sam was on his hands and knees, spitting blood. The Vision floated in the middle of the group, staring at Peter with mixed emotions. Peter looked back at the building. The fire had finally died down. White smoke pumped out of the windows.

Sam struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand, "don't you dare get on that jet!"

Spider-man just stared blankly at him. Sparks shot out from what was left of the extra limbs on his back.

"Spidey! Let's go!" Wanda called from the ship.

"Don't!" Sam pleaded. "Don't do this, man!"

"I'm sorry," Peter said, before turning and walking up the ramp. It closed behind him, the jet rising into the air moments later. And then they were gone. Tony passed out right then and there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 0 to 100 REAL FAST.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	9. Peter is a bad driver pt. 2

  
**Helicarrier Medical Wing**

"I can't just sit here and do nothing! God knows what they could be doing to my son!" Tony waved his hands wildly in the air.

"Please sit still, Mr. Stark..." A very tired nurse said as she dabbed at a cut on his cheek.

"I doubt they are doing anything to him," Nick Fury crossed his arms. "He should be fine as long as he stays under Wanda's influence."

"That's just as bad..." Clint groaned, remembering all the damage he had done all those years ago when he was under Loki's control.

"You people should have alerted me of the situation much sooner," Fury continued. "The moment Peter told you what happened, you should have contacted me. All this bullshit could have been resolved by now."

"Yeah, yeah. I screwed this one. How do we get Maximoff out of Spidey's head?" Tony asked Clint.

"I don't know. Her magic's different from Loki's..." Clint laid back on his cot, pressing an ice pack to his black eye.

"Hey, Tony, your phone keeps buzzing," Cap tossed Tony the phone.

Tony frowned as he read through the messages. Ten missed calls from Happy. Five from Ned. And...twenty-three from Michelle? He had given Peter's friends his personal number, just in case. In the past, Tony had called them many times. Thankfully they hadn't been in a situation where they needed to call Iron Man. Until now, it would seem.

SHIELD had the situation at the compound on lockdown. There was no way anybody outside the Avengers would know what had happened today.

Tony clicked on the most recent voicemail, putting it on speaker.

"Damnit Stark! Pick up your phone! Something is very, very, very, wrong with Peter! He...ugh...let me just send you the voicemail he left me." Michelle's voice snapped. The message clicked, signaling its end.

The phone dinged with a new message. An audio file.

Tony stared at the file, afraid to open it. Fury snatched the phone from him and pressed play.

Peter's panicked voice was barely above a whisper. "MJ, you gotta get out of Queens! Take your family and go! Tell Ned, tell everyone! And call Tony! He can help you get somewhere safe-"

"Who are you talking to?" Wanda spoke from the background. Peter's response was muffled by the sound of someone grabbing the phone. "How'd you get my phone?!" Wanda demanded. A flutter of different sounds came through the speaker, possibly from Peter and Wanda fighting over the device. It was cut off by a loud smack, and a crash of something falling over. The line went dead.

The Avengers had quickly gathered around Fury when they heard Peter's voice. "Can you trace the call?" Natasha asked, the worry clear in her voice.

"I'm about to find out," Fury pocketed the phone and looked back over at Stark. "I'll let you know if we get a location. For now, I think you all should head to Queens."

* * *

  
Spider-man glared up at his captors from his place on the floor. His hands and feet had been bound by the same glowing red substance as before. He guessed that it was a rope Wanda had enchanted and that the witch had something to do with the previous two times he had been held still by glowing red restraints.

Spidey wasn't quite sure where he was. It looked like an abandoned subway station. Where at though? He just knew that after he had called Michelle using Wanda's phone, the former Avenger tied him up and drug him down a dangerous looking staircase.

"How did he break your spell?" Bruce demanded.

"I don't know..." Wanda crouched down by Peter's head and reached out to touch his forehead.

"Touch me and I will _flay_  you," Spider-man snarled. Wanda pulled her hand back.

"Redo the spell, Maximoff. He's no use to us like this," Bruce huffed, pacing around the other side of the room. Peter couldn't see him, but he could hear him shuffling his feet. "Otto and Adrian think Spidey is on our side. What are they going to think when they show up to this?" Peter assumed Bruce was motioning to him.

"I don't know how long it will hold this time. I will do it, nonetheless." Wanda reached out again.

"I told you not to touch me!" Spider-man yanked his head back and rolled onto his stomach. He started to army crawl away but Bruce held him down by putting his foot on the wall-crawler's back.

"Wait. I have a better idea," Bruce said to Wanda.

"I'm all ears."

"Mind wipe," Bruce said curtly. "You can rewrite his reality, can't you?"

Peter felt his heart skip a beat.

"That's a bit drastic. And it would take up a lot of my energy to alter his memories-"

"You don't need to alter them. Just erase them," Bruce pointed out.

"Um...how about you don't erase my mind?" Spider-man spoke up. "I have finals next month and I kinda need my brain."

Wanda looked at Peter, considering her options. Sure, she could implant new memories, visions, whatever she liked into Peter's mind. But to just flat out erase it? That could have dire consequences...

"Wanda. Toomes and Octavius will be here soon. Whatever you're going to do, do it now," Bruce said with a bit of urgency.

Spider-man thrashed under Bruce's weight. "Haven't you guys fucked with me enough?! You've cut me open, changed my biology, sewed my fucking mouth shut-" Peter's voice cracked. "I-I'm not your play thing! You can't just mold me to your liking! That's what play-doh is for-"

"Shut it," Bruce snapped. "I gave you your powers. And I will alter them as I see fit."

Spider-man's lenses narrowed in rage. "You're twisted! Fucked in the head! I'm a human being and you can't just-"

"You're a child. A lost child who doesn't know what's best."

Wanda placed her hand over Peter's face.

One by one, Peter's memories were stolen away. His most prominent ones were the first to go. Him and Clint hiding in the vents, watching their latest prank unfold. Natasha giving him dating advice right after sneaking him into a bar. Listening to old records with Sam on lazy Sunday mornings. Playing baseball with Rhodey and Steve. Playing chess with the Vision, determined to win even though it was impossible. That one time Happy had picked him up from school early so they could get ice cream. Going to the zoo with Thor, who was convinced giraffes were fake and needed solid visual proof of their existence. Tony putting the Iron Man helmet on Peter while they worked together in the lab, commenting on how it made Peter look like a bobble head. Aunt May hugging him goodbye the morning she was killed by a drunk driver. Sitting at the lunch table with Ned and Michelle, talking about...what were they talking about? Peter couldn't remember. The memory was ripped from his grasp before he could finish processing it.

And then...it was all gone...every last piece of it.

Spider-man screamed in anguish. Not knowing what he had lost, but feeling as though a part of him had just been killed.

A new memory drifted into his subconscious. The one of Bruce holding him down while Wanda sewed his mouth shut, only it had been altered. Now it was Steve who held him down, and Tony held the needle...

"Shh...it's okay..." Wanda brushed the back of her hand over the side of Peter's face. Spider-man was shaking badly so Wanda continued to comfort him until he calmed down.

"Who...who are you?" Peter whispered, his lenses wide. With his only memory that of being tortured, fear gripped at his heart.

"My name is Wanda. I'm your sister. And this is Bruce. A friend of ours."

Bruce raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'really?'

Spider-man nodded slowly. "Oh...ok...um...who am I?"

"Your name is Peter. You also go by Spider-man," she untied him and brought him over to the ticket booth so that he could see his reflection in the glass.

"What am I? A super hero?"

Wanda nodded, "we all are." She raised her palm, a ball of red energy floating just above it.

"Huh. Can I do that?" One of Peter's lenses was wider than the other.

"No," Wanda laughed, "you're Spider-man. You stick to walls and can shoot webs out of your wrists."

"Weird..." Peter stared at his reflection for a minute before speaking again, "where are we? Do we live here?"

"No, no." Wanda wrapped an arm around Peter's shoulders, "you poor thing, you really don't remember anything, do you? That damn Stark..."

"Stark? I don't understand, what's going on, Wanda?" Peter visibly tensed. "Was he the one who...?" He brushed his finger tips over his mouth.

"Tony Stark used to be our friend. He was like a father to you, Peter. But then something happened, something inside him broke...he went mad..." Wanda looked away, her voice quivering. "He...he experimented on you...cut you up, sewed your mouth shut..." She hid her face in her free hand, "he did something to your head. Bruce and I tried to save you but we were too late..." She sobbed.

Bruce smirked, impressed by Wanda's acting abilities. Peter seemed to believe her 100%.

"We barely got you out in one piece... we're on the run now." Wanda continued. "We have friends in Queens. They're going to help us take down Stark before he can hurt anyone else."

Peter nodded, pulling his eyes away from his reflection, "do I know them?"

"You used to. You probably won't remember them now. Their names are Otto and Adrian," Wanda explained. "I'm not as fond of them as you are, however, Stark has an army to back him up, so we're going to need all the help we can get."

"An army?"

"They call themselves the Avengers. Don't take them lightly. They will kill you without batting an eye. Here, put this on. It's more...you." Wanda held out Spider-man's classic costume. She had snagged it for him before they left the compound.

"This isn't...me?" Peter looked down at the Iron Spider suit he still wore.

"No. Tony Stark made the one you are wearing now. Another way for him to control you," Wanda explained. "It could have a tracker in it. You don't want Stark to find you, do you?" Peter wrinkled his nose in disgust and took the other suit, marching off behind the stairs, where he could change in privacy. The first thing he noticed when he had the old suit on was the odd bit of paper sticking out of the belt. Peter frowned and plucked it from the fabric. Upon unfolding it, he found it was a photo. It was of him and people who he assumed were the Avengers. And they were playing monopoly? Wanda and Bruce were in the photo as well. It must have been taken before Stark went mad. There was a note on the back, but the message just left more questions than answers.

_You're my kid, goddamnit. And I'll die before I let anything bad happen to you._

Peter read that particular line over and over. Tony Stark really was like a father then, going as far as adopting him and promising to keep him safe. Peter flipped the photo back over and glared at Stark. The man who tortured him and robbed him of his memories. The memory flashed before his eyes again. Peter shuddered. It didn't matter who Stark used to be, he was nothing but an adversary now. Hatred bubbled up in the pit of Peter's stomach. He wanted to get even more than anything.

"Spidey! Let's go!" Wanda called. Peter tucked the picture back into his belt before walking out to meet her. The three headed along the empty subway tunnel for almost an hour before sunlight started trickling in. The sun had begun to set, casting a warm orange glow onto the city below. Peter held up his hand, shielding his eyes from the bright light. The area they had arrived at looked like some kind of junk yard. Wanda ripped a worn out tarp away from a group of motorcycles. "The quinjet is too easy to follow. Good thing Bruce hid these for us."

Bruce took off his jacket and threw it at Spider-man. "Let's try not to be too suspicious. Okay?" Peter nodded in agreement and quickly zipped the black jacket up over his brightly colored spandex. Wanda slapped a helmet over his face.

"Let's go!" Wanda climbed onto her bike, with Peter getting onto the back of another one. He took a deep breath and gripped the handle bars. In the back of his mind, he knew how to operate a motorcycle, yet he still felt like he was getting on one for the first time. "Calm down, little brother. You've been on one of these before."

"I have?" Peter blinked.

"Yeah. Part of your training with the Avengers." Wanda flicked the visor of her helmet down. It was blacked out, completely masking her identity. Peter did the same with his own helmet. "Lead the way, Banner." Bruce nodded and zoomed off on his motorcycle. Wanda and Peter followed at a distance.

* * *

  
**One Month After Spider-man Joined the Avengers**

_**BANG** _

_Spider-man flinched at the sound of the gun. The shooting earmuffs he wore dampened most of the noise, but the gun was still much too close for comfort. Natasha took his hand and pressed the gun into his palm. "That's all there is to it. Give it a try."_

_"Um...okay..." Spider-man stood at the window and aimed at the target on the other end of the room._

_"Are you keeping both eyes open?" Natasha asked, unable to tell with the mask. Spidey nodded. "Wait," Natasha repositioned his hands on the gun. "Okay. Go for it." She stepped back._

_**BANG** _

_Spider-man wasn't expecting the recoil. Luckily it wasn't much different from the recoil from his web shooters, so he was able to handle it. It still caught him off guard and caused him to miss the target completely. Peter was just glad they were the only ones in the underground gun range. One less thing for Clint to tease him about._

_"What's going on down here?" Steve waltz down the steps, a pair of sound earmuffs draped around his neck._

_"Teaching the kid how to use a gun," Natasha explained, motioning around them as if it were obvious._

_Steve raised an eyebrow. "Is that necessary?"_

_"You can never be too safe," Natasha answered. "Here, stand like this," she nudged the inside of Peter's ankle until he moved his legs to take a stronger stance._

_"Are you the one who taught Spidey to throw knives? Or was that Clint?" Steve crossed his arms._

_"That was me. How did you hear about that?"_

_"Stark told me," Steve snorted._

_Spider-man groaned, "Mr. Stark needs to stay out of my business._

_Steve raised an eyebrow. Tony and Spidey typically got along like two peas in a pod. Every once in awhile they would be at each other's throats, pissy about something petty. Usually, it was because Tony was monitoring Spider-man a bit too closely, or Spider-man had stolen his toolbox again. Whatever the reason this time, Steve wanted no part of it. "Shouldn't we focus on his hand to hand combat abilities before we start giving him weapons of mass destruction?"_

_"It's just a gun," Natasha rolled her eyes._

_"Slippery slope to something more deadly," Steve raised a finger, an almost sly smile on his face._

_"I want him to be able to hold his own no matter what he has at his disposal," Natasha said. "I was trained to turn anything and everything into a weapon. Spidey should be trained to do so as well. I'm just getting the basics out of the way," she nodded at the gun in the web slinger's hands._

_"I think I'd rather just stick to my webs," Spidey said, lowering the gun._

_"There might come a time when you need more than that-"_

_"I don't want to kill anyone," Spider-man looked down range at the human shaped target._

_"You won't have to," Steve assured him. "Ever."_

_Natasha gave Steve a look, "we can't control who lives and who dies. You know that. Even Bruce has had to use a gun to defend himself. Spidey needs to know this stuff."_

_Steve fell silent._

_Spider-man raised the gun again_.

_**BANG** _

_This time he hit the target's legs._

_"Not bad," Natasha praised._

_Spider-man handed her the gun and took off his earmuffs, "I think I'm done with that..." Spidey hated guns. They had taken his uncle from him. Even with the mask, the older Avengers could tell he had a disgusted look on his face._

_"Do you want to try a different firearm?" Natasha offered._

_"I'd rather not," Spider-man was quickly walking towards the stairs. "I'm gonna go mess with Clint. Bye!"_

* * *

  
**Now**

Steve sat in the passenger seat of Tony's car. The two men were silent as Tony drove through the streets of Queens. They had found the stranded Quinjet at the location Fury had given them. No sign of the rogue Avengers. Or Peter. The Avengers had decided to split up and search the area at street level. Steve and Tony were the only ones in a car. Everyone else was on foot, checking back alleys and asking around. Steve had Tony's phone in his lap. The scientist had set news alerts for the keywords "Spider-man", "Scarlet Witch", and "Hulk" before giving the phone to Steve to monitor. So far there had been no hits.

Tony sighed, rolling to a stop at a red light. This would be a lot easier if the tracker in the Iron Spider suit hadn't been damaged in the explosion. The search had been going on for quite awhile and the sun had long set. Tony decided he would stop at the next parking lot and put on his armor. Steve had warned him against doing so right off the bat, due to the nature of Tony's injuries, as well as the fact that you could hear the suit from miles away. Tony looked over at the sound of engines rumbling. Three dark motorcycles slid to a halt in the lane next to them. A man was on the first one, while a woman and a younger man sat on the others. The two adults wore dark clothes, and all three had on helmets that masked their faces. Yet they looked...familiar.

The younger man turned to look at Tony. That's when he noticed the bright blue pants and all too familiar red boots. Even in the dim light, the colors stood out like a star in the New York sky.

As soon as the light turned green Tony slammed on the gas and made a sharp turn, cutting off the motorcycles. Bike tires shrieked as the three sped off in opposite directions.

"FUCK." Tony reversed and abruptly turned around in the middle of the intersection, following the bike Peter was on.

Steve yelped as he was jostled around by the sudden movements, "what are you-?!"

Tony punched a button on the dashboard, "Stark to everyone! We found them! Peter is-"

"I see him!" Natasha cut him off. She shot out of an alley on her own bike, getting between Tony and Peter. Tony was forced to slam on his breaks. Up ahead, the teen crossed into the oncoming lane and zig zagged his way through traffic. Peter twisted around to look back at Natasha, who was hard on his heels. Angry horns blared and people screamed when Natasha had to drive on the sidewalk in order to avoid a car.

Tony ripped the keys out of the ignition and grabbed his suit out of the back seat, which was currently folded up in the shape of a briefcase. There was no way he would be able to follow the bikes through this traffic.

Someone honked loudly from behind them.

The suit latched onto Tony's arm and unfurled around him. He was out of the car and blasting off in mere seconds. Steve cursed under his breath and got out to follow on foot.

Peter made a hard turn, speeding up onto the highway. Bruce and Wanda flew out of the side streets, meeting up with the wall crawler on the onramp. Wanda looked up at the sound of Iron Man's repulsors. The metal man was flying right above them.

"I'm calling in the big guns," Wanda yelled at Bruce.

"I thought I was the big guns?" Bruce sounded offended.

"Fine. Medium guns," Wanda shook her head.

Iron Man shot ahead and landed in the middle of the highway. The asphalt cracked under his feet. Cars blared their horns and swerved to avoid him. Headlight's reflected off his armor as they did so. He held his ground, repulsor raised. "SPIDER-MAN. STOP."

Spider-man wasn't stopping. He headed directly for Iron Man at nearly 80 miles per hour. At the last second, Peter jerked the bike sideways and jumped off. Tony barely got out an "oh fuck" before the motorcycle plowed into him. The display inside his helmet flickered. Wanda pulled Peter onto the back of her bike as she zoomed past him. Spider-man looked over his should at the mangled metal that might have once been a motorcycle. Or Iron Man. The lack of daylight made it impossible to tell.

"Maybe we don't need the 'medium' guns," Bruce smirked.

"Already called him. Besides, we still got Widow on our tail. And I don't know where the other Avengers are!" Wanda called over the roar of their engines.

Without warning, Iron Man shot into the air. The air was knocked out of Spider-man when he was plucked off Wanda's bike and rocketed into the sky.

"That's it, bucko. You're grounded," Tony grumbled as Spider-man thrashed in his arms. Tony tightened his grip although he was no match for Peter's super strength. Peter broke free only to realize that there was nowhere for him to web onto. Spider-man let out a panicked scream as he plummeted to the unforgiving concrete far below. "That's not what I meant!!" Iron Man dived down, arms outstretched. Right before he could grab Peter, the Vulture swooped in and snatched him up by the legs.

"Hey, Pedro. Long time no see," Toomes smiled behind his helmet. "Remember me?"

"Nope. We go to high school together, or something?" Spider-man hoisted his upper body up and grabbed onto Toomes. Wanda had mentioned that one of the people they were meeting dressed like a bird. Although, Peter had imagined a man in feathery spandex, not this horrifying individual with mechanical wings and talons, and glowing green eyes that seemed to pierce into his very soul.

"Or something..." Toomes smirked. Wanda had told him about Peter's memory loss. This was going to be fun...

"Let him go, Toomes!" Iron man raced back upwards and hovered in front of the Vulture.

"Very well," Adrian released the talons around Spider-man's leg. The arachnid responded by crawling around and attaching himself to Adrian's back. "Looks like the kid wants to stay with me."

"Because he has nowhere else to go, you twat." Iron Man held his arms out, waving at the empty air around him. He moved a bit closer to the Vulture and held out his hand, "Peter, come here."

"I'd rather not."

Tony narrowed his eyes behind the mask, "is that witch still in your head?"

"No one's in my head," Peter spat.

"Then why don't you trust me?"

"You sewed my mouth shut. Why should I trust _you_?"

"Damn, Stark. That's a cold move, even for you," Toomes was smiling like a little kid. He couldn't imagine a more perfect situation.

"Stay out of this, Vulture!" Tony's voice was still strong, but on the inside, he was losing his cool. "I didn't do that to you, Spidey. And you know it."

Spider-man shifted around, lowering his head and bunching up his shoulders. He would have attacked Tony right then and there, but that wouldn't have been a good idea, considering their altitude. His lenses narrowed as far as they could. "I remember it very clearly. Right down to the color of the thread. And your _fucking smile_. You sick bastard...so much for family, huh?"

The color drained from Tony's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter! And thank you for reading! :)
> 
> I'll be out of town on family business this week, so it might be a hot second before chapter 10 is uploaded. But It will be up before Saturday, I promise!


	10. Tony and Steve have a moment. Sort of.

"What are you doing?!" Steve yelled over the comms. It looked as though Iron Man was letting the Vulture fly away with Spider-man.

"We've lost him, Steve..." Tony sighed.

"No, we haven't! Use those rocket boots and go after them!" Steve snapped. He skidded to a halt next to Natasha, who had pulled over on the side of the highway and was also looking up at the armored Avenger. She had seen Wanda shoot a small ball of energy at Tony right before she swerved into the heavy traffic.

"I think Wanda's making him stay put," Natasha reported.

That theory proved to be wrong, as Tony ended up drifting back down. He hovered a few feet above the road. "I think Maximoff wiped his mind," Tony said softly. "Or changed his memories...something. I don't know."

"Want to elaborate on that?" Steve crossed his arms.

"He thinks I'm the one who tortured him," Tony's voice wavered. "I tried convincing him otherwise, but he wouldn't listen. He didn't seem to know who the Avengers were, either. Well, he knew the Avengers were the ones chasing him just now, he didn't know your guys' names."

"You can still catch up to the Vulture-"

"Peter will attack if I do. Toomes is flying too far up, I don't want to risk anything." Tony shuddered, recalling just how close Peter had been to splattering on the pavement minutes earlier.

"Fine..." Steve put two fingers to his ear when he heard Sam's voice. "No, I'm calling off the search. There's nothing more we can do tonight," he sighed. "Yeah, Sam. I know. We'll just have to wait until they make their next move."

"I have a feeling their next move will be a big one..." Natasha added, remembering Peter's voicemail, warning his friends to get out of Queens.

* * *

The flight back to the compound was painfully silent and full of tension. Tony was eyeing each of his teammates as if any one of them was about to stab him in the back.

"Stop that," Rhodey snapped.

"Stop what?" Tony looked away, opting to scroll through his phone instead.

"Looking at us like that," Rhodey said. "We're on your side, asshole."

"Sorry, just having a few trust issues after one of my closest friends tortured my son." Tony huffed, waving his hand, palm up.

"Like I said, we're on your side, Tony." Rhodey sighed, he pushed off the wall he had been leaning against and went to stand directly infront of Tony. "I get it, I wouldn't trust us either, but you have to. We all have to work together if we're going to save Peter."

"Can we trust each other?" Vision asked, "you all have been hiding various secrets from one another. I think it would be difficult for us all to stay a team after recent events."

"Gee, thanks for the input, robo-dick." Clint groaned, banging his head back against his headrest.

"I am merely pointing out facts," Vision's expression did not change.

"Now's not the time, Vision," Steve said from the pilot's chair.

"He's right, though. How do we know that we can trust one another?" Natasha hugged her knees. "Two Avengers went rogue, I wouldn't be surprised if someone else-"

"I would be surprised," Steve countered. He put on the autopilot and spun the chair around to face his team. "Who here genuinely cares about Peter? Who would willingly give their life to keep him safe?" Everyone raised their hands. "And who would willingly do the same for anyone on this team?" Steve continued. Everyone kept their hands in the air. "And is anyone opposed to being interrogated by SHIELD?" All the hands lowered.

"If that's what it takes to prove my loyalty to this team, then SHIELD can ask all the questions they want," Sam spoke up. Murmmers of agreement rippled through the quinjet.

Tony set down his phone, "that's good because I just got an email from Fury. We're all being called in for questioning tomorrow morning."

"Fantastic," Clint yawned. He didn't care what Fury wanted as long as he got some sleep beforehand.

"Fury's putting us on lockdown at the compound until he knows we can all be trusted. The SHIELD agents there have orders to shoot anyone who tries to leave," Tony informed them. Thankfully, their living quarters were in a separate building from the training hall and thus spared from the fire. Tony shifted around nervously, hoping the questioning wouldn't take too long.

* * *

A scream sliced through the cold night air, instantly waking Steve, who jumped up and raced towards the sound. The Avenger found Stark doubled over in the kitchen.

"No, no, no, no, no-" Tony was chanting over and over. Tears fell freely from his face, shaky hands held over an empty spot on the floor.

"Tony! What happened?! Are you hurt?!" Steve knelt down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I killed him..." Tony whispered, "I killed my son..."

"What are you talking about? Peter is fine, he went with the Vulture of his own free will-"

"NO. HE CAME HOME. And I shot him at point blank range! I shot him right in the fucking face!!" Tony was in a tank top and gym shorts. No gun in sight. Or repulsor. There was also no Peter.

"You didn't-"

"I did! Oh god, I shot Peter...I shot Peter...I shot..."

Steve looked away when Tony started vomiting. "You must have had a bad dream, Tony. Peter was never here."

"Prove it!"

"Okay...well, if you killed Peter then where's the body?"

"Right FUCKING THERE. Are you BLIND?!" Tony roared, pointing at the bare kitchen tiles.

"There's nothing there, Tony." Steve's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Have you been drinking? Or smoking something?"

"My boy...I killed my boy..." Tony reached out and stroked his hand over empty air. "There's blood in his hair...w-what...what do I do, Steve?"

"Tony. Look at me." Steve pulled Tony into his arms. Tony let out strangled gasp and squirmed in Steve's arms, his hands outstretched for the invisible body. "LOOK AT ME, TONY." Steve ordered. His friend looked up through watery eyes. "There's no one there, Tony. No one. You didn't kill anyone."

Tony buried his face in Steve's shoulder and wailed. Steve tightened his embrace. He stayed silent until Tony cried himself into exhaustion. "Nat said Wanda did something to you, back on the highway. She must have planted bad images in your head."

Tony didn't say anything at first. His puffy red eyes still fixed on the floor. "He's-the body-it's gone..."

"It was never here." Steve helped Tony to his feet and guided him back to his bedroom. He tucked Tony into bed and turned to leave, Tony grabbed his arm.

"Can you...maybe stick around a bit? I can't...I don't think I can sleep after that..." Tony looked away, embarrassed by showing too much emotion around Cap.

"Of course," Steve slipped under the covers. He settled in against Tony's side and took his hand, "it was just a bad dream, Tony. Peter's alright."

Tony nodded silently, staring blankly at the ceiling. "It felt so real."

Steve ended up falling asleep next to his friend. Sunlight drifted in through the blinds the next morning, stirring Steve from his slumber. At some point he had wrapped his arms around Tony, the smaller man curled up against him. Steve couldn't help but smile at him. The other man looked so innocent in his arms, so peaceful. Steve stayed where he was for a short bit, then carefully pulled away and sat up.

"Morning already?" Tony grumbled.

"Yeah. Did I wake you?"

"No. Was never asleep," Tony sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Didn't know you were the cuddling type," Steve teased.

"Tell anyone about this and I will launch you into the sun," Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. He threw the sheets to the side and headed towards the bathroom.

"Tony?"

"What?" Tony stopped, hand on the doorknob.

"Are we ever going to talk? About us?" Steve's voice was soft, his eyebrows knit together. Every time Steve thought he was getting close to the scientist, something stood in his way. Last time it had been what they had come to call the "Civil War".

"There's nothing to talk about," Tony went into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Steve left the room when he heard the shower being turned on.

* * *

  
**10:00 PM, Unknown location, Two Days Later**

"Where are you going, bug boy?" Otto threw out his arm, blocking the exit.

"Out." Peter ducked under his arm and ran off. He didn't like Ock. That man honestly made him uncomfortable. Wanda had said Otto was his friend, but the teen found that extremely hard to believe. He tugged his mask over his face and swiped a coat from the closet before hurrying up the stairs.

Otto glared at Spider-man until he was out of sight.

"Upset that you can't play house with the rest of us?" Adrian sneered.

"Fuck off, Toomes," Otto snapped. "Maximoff told me to get closer to Spider-man. How do I make him trust me?"

"You can't _make_ anyone trust you, doc," Adrian leaned against the counter. "Try not to be so intimidating. You're freaking out the kid."

"That scrawny kid is nothing like the man I fought a few weeks ago. The person I fought wasn't afraid to die. He gave his all in that battle. This kid? He's scared of his own shadow." Otto practically spat the last word.

"Tends to happen when your only memories are that of being tortured," Toomes shrugged. Doc Ock grumbled something under his breath and stormed off down the hall. Adrian waited until he was gone before following Peter. He found the teen sitting cross legged at the edge of the roof, an oversized coat wrapped tightly around his small frame. The world around them was deafeningly silent. Snow had begun to fall earlier that night. Peter held out a hand, catching a few stray flakes in his palm. Adrian took a seat next to him.

Peter scooped up a small pile of snow into his hands, letting the tiny crystals fall between his fingers.

"Guess you don't remember snow, huh?"

"I remember the science behind it. How each flake is unique," Peter said, holding the snow close to his face, as if trying to spot the differences between them. "It's weird. How you can know exactly how the world works, without remembering your part in it. It's like watching a movie with no characters."

Toomes nodded slowly. "Don't stay out here too long, you'll catch a cold." He pat Peter on the head, then got to his feet and stretched. "We need to get you some actual clothes. You can't wear that costume forever. That's a project for another day, though. Goodnight, Pete." Adrian waved before walking back inside.

Peter watching him go, afterward turning his attention back to the snowy streets below.

* * *

  
**One Week Later**

Tony paced in his lab. It was a long, frustrating process, but all the remaining Avengers had finally been cleared. Everyone could be trusted, according to SHIELD. Fury said otherwise, but then again, Fury probably didn't even trust his own mother. Tony heard someone come into the lab. He ignored them.

"I brought lunch," Steve announced, holding up a plastic sack. "Hope you're in the mood for deli sandwiches."

"I'm not in the mood for anything," Tony reminded him. Steve had rarely left his side this past week, wanting to make sure Tony was taking care of himself. And also to be there in case Tony had another hallucination. The constant babying annoyed Tony to no end, yet he was also somewhat grateful. He wouldn't have eaten or slept at all if it weren't for his teammate.

Tony cleared a spot on the table and kicked a stool over to Steve. "What's our next move, oh captain, my captain?"

"We've been over this, Stark. We have no way to find them and Peter isn't going to come to us willingly. We can't do anything until they make their next play." Steve handed Tony his sandwich.

"I hate sitting around. Feel so useless..." Tony ripped the paper off his lunch and took a large bite.

Steve didn't say anything.

"Hey, Tony? Can you help me out with this?"

Tony looked back to see Peter standing directly behind him, holding his chemistry textbook and a notebook. Tony blinked. This had to be another hallucination.

Peter tilted his head, "I'm really confused about this one," he put the textbook on the table and pointed at the problem in question. Tony leaned forward, peering around Peter at the Avenger on the other side of him. Steve showed no signs of being able to see their guest.

"Get out of here," Tony frowned.

"Huh?" Steve looked up.

"Not you, him-" Tony waved his hand, expecting it to pass through the illusion. Instead, he hit something very solid.

"Okay, geez, I'll go ask Vision," Peter slammed his textbook shut. He turned to leave only for Tony to grab him by the throat and slam him into the table. Peter clawed at Tony's hands, "I-I'm...S-sorry-" his eyes were wide with fear.

"Oh, you will be..." Tony couldn't stop the rage boiling up in his stomach, making him see red. "You little shit. Nothing but trouble..." He flung Peter to the floor and stomped on his windpipe. Peter gasped for air, hands flying to his throat. An awful wheezing noise escaped his lips along with a bit of spit. Tony watched as he son twitched on the floor for several minutes. Peter weakly clutched onto Tony's pant leg. Tony stared him dead in the eye as Peter lay dying at his feet. The teen's own eyes clouded over with grief. And then it was over. The choked noises stopped and Peter stilled.

"Tony? Tony! _Breath_!" Steve called. "You need to breathe!" Steve shook him aggressively, panicked by the way Tony had suddenly gone into shock.

"Huh?!" Tony started. He hadn't moved from his chair and still held his food in both hands. There was no corpse at his feet. He dropped his sandwich and hid his face in his hands, "it happened again...I killed him. Again."

Steve was pale. He had heard what Tony had said to 'Peter' and assumed he was having another episode. He didn't like being right about this particular thing. "Are you...can you still see him?"

"No. God no." Tony drew in a shaky breath. Steve moved closer and wrapped his arms around the trembling man.

* * *

  
**That Night, unknown location**

Wanda crouched next to Peter, who was curled up in a tight ball on the couch. He whined in his sleep and scrunched his eyebrows together. Even in the almost unbearable cold, sweat dripped down Petet's face. Wanda stroked his hair, feeling slight guilt for leaving the boy with a single negative memory.

"Shh..." Red light gathered around her fingers as she brushed his hair. One memory. Just one good memory to balance it all out. But which one? Wanda sighed and dipped her head. His birthday. That seemed like the best option. "No," she said aloud. A positive memory of Tony Stark might conflict too much with how Peter currently viewed his father. Instead, she opted to give him a memory of him and Clint hanging out. She allowed Peter to recall an entire day spent with the Archer. "There you go, little one..." She smiled as Peter relaxed. Wanda carefully pulled another blanket over Peter and kissed his forehead.

* * *

  
**The Next Day**

Peter had his face resting on the kitchen table, his arms outstretched. Bruce was removing the stitches from his forearms.

"Alright. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Bruce said as he packed up his medical bag.

"No," Peter agreed, raising his head to look at his arms. On both limbs, a single thin scar ran from the center of his palm, all the way to the inside of his elbow. He traced the one on his left arm with an index finger, "you never told me how these happened."

"Stark tried to remove your organic webbing," Bruce explained. "hopefully he didn't damage your spinners too badly...I did what I could to fix them."

Peter hesitated before aiming his left wrist at the ceiling and pressing his palm with two fingers. Sure enough, a strand of web shot out and latched onto the ceiling. "whoa..." Peter held the end of the strand in his hands, examining the countless tiny fibers twisted together.

A huge smile spread across Bruce's face, "it worked!" He nudged Peter to his feet, "we need to tell Wanda. She's want to move onto the next part of our plan."

"Plan?" Peter frowned.

"Taking down the Avengers," Bruce reminded.

"Oh, that..." Peter followed Bruce down the hall. "But they're not all bad, I mean, Clint seemed like a good guy-"

"You remember Clint?" Bruce rounded on him, causing Peter to jump back in shock. 

"I had a dream about him last night."

"Dreams lie all the time, kid," Bruce was looking at him through narrowed eyes.

"Okay, so 'dream' was the wrong word choice. It felt more like a memory," Peter waved his hands in the air. "I could feel the temperature in the room, and the wind outside, and I could smell someone frying burgers in the kitchen down the hall, and I-"

"You have a vivid imagination, Peter," Bruce's facial expression softened. "Clint is nothing but an asshole, just like all the others. All those idiots have superiority complexes, thinking they know what's best for us, for the world..." Bruce started walking again, "they don't. They know nothing. All they do is make everything worse. And hurt the people they claim to love," Bruce looked down at Peter, his eyes full of sadness.

* * *

**December 10th.**

One month. Peter had been living with Wanda and Bruce for a solid month. Doc Ock hadn't stopped by recently, although Adrian was often popping by their apartment to check on Peter and bring him gifts. Such as the clothes he was wearing now. And the gun strapped to his hip. He didn't want the gun anywhere near his person, but Adrian had insisted he keep it on him at all times. "Just in case Stark and his merry men show up," he had said.

Currently, Peter sat in the backseat of an old beat up truck. Wanda said they were going to Chicago, but didn't explain why. They had been driving all day and Peter was bored with looking out the window. Now he was looking at a tiny black disk in his palm. A bright red button was in the middle of the disk. He had found the object in his belt next to the photo. On the back of the disk the words "don't panic" had been carved into the black metal. Peter took out the photo and read Tony's note again. He felt a strong urge to press the red button. And so...he did.

He jolted when it made a single high pitched beep, dropping the disk on the floor. The button lit up, flashing "SOS" in Morse code. Snatched the button, Peter quickly encased it in his hands. He glanced up at the two adults in the front seats.

Wanda and Bruce were completely oblivious to what was going on behind them. Peter pressed the button again, trying to switch it off. The button kept flashing no matter what he did.

Meanwhile, at the Avengers facility, alarms blared. They were loud and angry, fading in and out like tornado sirens. Steve burst into Tony's lab, "The Alarm! Is that...?"

"Peter's panic button," Tony was already suited up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter was originally just about Peter and Bruce, but then I got an idea for how to torment Tony and also sneak a bit of Stony into this story. And then the chapter just evolved into something completely different than what was originally drafted...  
> Sorry, not sorry.
> 
> Now I'm off to the airport. Next chapter will be up by Saturday! Thank you for reading!


	11. Strange

Chicago was on fire. Specifically the magnificent mile. Screams cut through the crackling flames. Sirens blared. A woman threw herself over her child right before a sign fell off the building above them. It abruptly stopped right before it hit them. The woman looked up when she realized they hadn't been squashed. Spider-man stood over her, holding the sign above his head.

"Move!!" He yelled. The woman stayed put, her eyes flooded with tears, mouth open in a panicked scream that hadn't quite left her throat. "Hurry! This is heavy!!" Spider-man's arms strained under the weight. The woman gathered her child and darted off.

Peter let the sign fall backward and ran forward before he was crushed.

A few blocks down, in the middle of the street, Wanda stood, hands waving with red light.

"Wanda!" Peter ran towards her, "you have to stop this! People are going to die!" It was no secret that she was the one who started the fire. Peter didn't know why. And honestly, he didn't want to. He just wanted it to end before someone got hurt.

"That's kinda the idea," Wanda said. "We need to draw them out."

"What are you talking abou-" he was cut off by a loud pop, followed by the loud hum of Iron Man's rocket boots. The armored Avenger shot by overhead. "All this just to fight the Avengers?!" Spider-man whirled on Wanda, the rage clear in his voice. "This fight is between us and them! Leave the civilians out of it!"

Although unseen, Spider-man could hear the roar of a quinjet above the clouds. It landed somewhere close.

"You still don't get it do you?" Wanda sighed, "the plan is to turn the entire world against the Avengers. Just wait until you see how I alter the news stories in the morning. _'Avengers Massacre Countless in Chicago'_."

"What the hell is wrong with you?! You-you're just as bad as they are!" Spider-man clenched his fists.

"Use your head for once, Peter. If we kill them, then we'll have the whole world after our heads. But if we show them that the Avengers are the enemy, everyone will be begging us to take them down," Wanda explained as if it were obvious.

"The Avengers aren't the enemy. You are!" Spider-man lunged at her. "Stop the fire, Wanda!!!"

Wanda blasted him back with a flick of her wrist. "I need you to work with me here, Petey. If you want to help end this, follow me." She walked off into the smoke. Spider-man hurried after her. He skipped to a stop when he saw her standing in front of a man. His legs were trapped under debris, reaching out to Wanda, crying for help. Spider-man rushed over and lifted the debris off.

"He needs medical help!" He webbed up the man's mangled legs, trying to stop the bleeding. Wanda yanked Peter to his feet by the back of his shirt. She took the gun out of the holster on his leg and slapped it against his chest.

"He won't make it. Finish the job."

"No!"

"You have to!"

"I won't!" Spider-man screamed.

"Fine." Wanda took the gun and shot the man in the head. Spider-man scrambled back, lenses wide. An innocent person had just been shot right in front of him. Guilt clenched Peter's heart, making it difficult to breathe.

"You...MURDERER!!" Spider-man grabbed the barrel and yanked back, crashing the gun into her face. He heard the satisfying crack of a broken nose and Wanda shrieking. Spider-man took the gun and ran. He had to put this right. He had to save those still trapped by the fire. He had to help the Avengers.

Peter's stomach churned at the thought of helping the Avengers. Past grudges would have to wait. What was important were the people dying in the streets.

* * *

Thanks to the combined efforts of the Avengers and the local fire department, the blaze was quickly pulled back under control, and the crumbling buildings stabilized. The Avengers stayed on the scene all afternoon, helping out where they could. Hundreds had been injured, and it was unclear how many lives had been lost.

"Here," Steve tapped Iron Man's helmet with a water bottle. The Avenger sat on the curb, taking a short break now that the chaos had died down.

Tony lifted his face plate, "thanks..." He downed the entire bottle in one go and crushed the plastic in his fist. "Is Peter still here?"

"He was helping pass out water, last I saw him." Steve shrugged. No words had been shared between the Avengers and the web slinger. He did his job, just like the rest of them. No one questioned it aloud.

"How did he get so far from Queens? And where are Bruce and Wanda?" Tony stood, his armor squeaking. "I don't like this. Not one bit."

"I don't know. I told the others to start wrapping up and head back to the jet. There's not much else we can do here. They have orders to bring Spider-man with them if they see him," Steve informed him.

Tony nodded and walked off, finding the closest fireman and asking what else he could do.  
-  
About an Hour Later, on the Quinjet.

"So, no one saw him?" Tony sighed. Steve was in the pilot's chair but hadn't started the engines yet. He turned the chair around to face his team.

"Must have left," Clint shrugged.

"Sam and I can go look for him," Rhodey offered. "You guys can go. We can just fly back home if we don't find him."

"I appreciate it. However, there's still the matter of Bruce and Wanda," Steve reminded everyone. "I know you all want Peter back. I do too, but I have a feeling Wanda started the fire. Nothing else could have done so much damage so quickly. Right now, our priority is to find them before they can strike again."

"We find Peter, we find the traitors," Clint said.

"Found him." Natasha's eyes were fixed on something behind Tony. Everyone turned to see Spider-man standing at the top of the ramp. A gun was strapped to his thigh. He stood tall, with his fists clenched. Clint pointed an arrow at the wall crawler, expecting him to attack at any moment.

Spider-man threw his hands in the air, "I'm not here to fight!"

"Why are you here, then?" Steve frowned.

"Hey, don't question good things," Tony clapped Steve on the back before walking over to Spider-man. "He helped us out back there, remember? Good to have you back, Pete-"

In a flash, Spider-man had drawn the gun and pointed it at Tony. "One more step and I will do it." He warned, clicking off the safety.

Tony stopped in his tracks. "No, you won't. Put that down before you hurt someone."

Peter's hands shook. Everyone knew he had too big a heart to pull the trigger. Natasha slowly approached him. Peter jerked the gun in her direction, eyepieces going wide. "Guns really aren't your thing, little spider." She put her hand over his and forced him to lower the gun. "Why don't you tell us why you're here?"

"Wanda killed someone. I don't trust you guys, but I trust her even less," Spider-man answered.

"Why come to us if you don't trust us?" Natasha pried his fingers away from the gun and set it aside.

Peter shrugged. "I want to help take her down. Besides, where else am I supposed to go? Stark took my memories. I don't even know my last name. Much less, where my home would be. Or was, if it's even still there."

"Your last name is Parker-Stark," Steve informed him. "Tony didn't take your memories. Wanda did. And your place is with us."

Spider-man stared at him, his lenses going back to their normal size.

"Do you believe me, Peter?" Steve pressed.

"I don't know what to believe anymore," Spider-man looked down at his feet.

"I think I may know someone who could help with that..." Natasha gently put a hand on his back and brought him closer to the group. "Steve, is the Doctor still in New York?"

"Doctor? As in Doctor Who?" Tony raised an eyebrow.

"No, you idiot. Doctor Strange."

"I honestly don't know. He was dimension hopping last I heard," Steve put a hand on his chin, his brow knitting together, "it couldn't hurt to stop by his sanctum..."

* * *

  
"Amnesia, huh?" Stephen scratched his head. Natasha, Steve, and Tony stood in the doorway to his sanctum. A small crowd had started to gather on the sidewalk, drawn in by the sight of the three Avengers. "Yeah, I should be able to do something about that. Where is he?" Tony pointed up. Stephen stuck his head out the door and looked up. Spider-man was perched on a window sill several stories up, staring down at them warily. "And he's up there because...?"

"Trust issues," Tony said shortly. Spider-man crawled backward, pushing himself against the glass. "Get down here!"

Spider-man hesitating before jumping off the window. He landed on the front steps without a sound.

"Well, come on in," Doctor Strange held the door open until everyone was inside. "Can I get you all anything to drink?" He asked while he led the way upstairs to a large room filled with magical objects.

Tony was about to ask for alcohol, but Steve spoke first, "we're good, thank you. Our priority is Peter."

"Of course. Let's see what we can do...Peter, if you could sit here," Stephen sat cross legged, floating a few inches above the ground and motioned for Peter to sit before him. Spidey did as he was told. Strange called a book over to him with a flick of his wrist. The book opened on its own and flipped itself to the page desired. Stephen skimmed the text. "Alright. This shouldn't be a problem. Remove your mask, please. Thank you. Now, this may sting." Stephen held up both hands, intricate patterns made of golden light circled around his fingers. He chanted something under his breath as he moved his hands around in a circular fashion. Then, slowly, he reached out and pressed two fingers between Peter's eyes.

Peter's entire body jerked. He would've fallen over it Doctor Stange hadn't grabbed him by the shoulder. Peter started to tremble as if he were having a seizure.

Tony moved forward, the concern clear on his face. Steve threw an arm across Tony's chest and shook his head. Tony opened his mouth to protest but was met with a stern look from the first Avenger.

The golden light disappeared from Stephen's hands. Peter went limp. Stephen held him up and nodded for Stark to come over. Tony darted to his side and eased Peter down to the floor, cradling his head in his lap.

"Peter?" Tony whispered.

"Hey, dad..." Peter opened his eyes a fraction. "That was weird."

"Everything sorted out up there?" He tapped Peter's forehead.

"I think so...really tired..." Peter closed his eyes again. Seventeen years of living had literally flashed before his eyes. That was a lot to take in. 'God, I need to get my shit together,' Peter thought. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, kiddo." Tony chuckled softly. Peter's breathing evened out soon after, his body relaxing against Tony's. "He called me 'dad'," Tony said to Steve, a big smile spreading across his face.

"I heard," Steve returned the smile.

Natasha knelt next to them and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of Peter's face. "Welcome back, little spider," She hummed.

"Thank you," Tony whispered to the Doctor.

"My pleasure. Always here to help the Avengers," Stephen stood up and dusted off his pants. "Allow me to show you to the guest room. You are welcome to stay here until Spider-man has recovered." Tony nodded and scooped Peter into his arms. The boy's head rested under his chin. Stephen levitated up another flight of stairs and down a hallway. A door opened without anyone touching it.

Tony laid Peter down on the large bed and pulled a blanket over his lanky body.

"Now. How about that drink?" Strange offered.

"I don't drink," Cap said.

"I do. And I could really use one after all this," Natasha smiled at the Doctor. He nodded and headed back down the hallway, Widow following close behind.

"You good, Tony?" Steve asked.

"I am now," Tony whispered, cupping Peter's face with one hand and brushing his thumb over his cheek. Steve nodded and left without another word. Tony gently pulled the blanket away from one of Peter's arms. No web shooter. Tony eased the glove off his hand, his shoulders sagging upon seeing the scar. He looked back up at Peter's face. Tiny scars danced unevenly around his mouth. So small that the average person wouldn't notice them. But Tony wasn't the average person. He distinctively remembered that part of the thread had ripped through Peter's lips when he had attempted to speak. A long scar marked where that had happened, slicing right through the side of his mouth. "I'm going to make them pay, Peter. I promise."

Peter mumbled something in his sleep and rolled onto his side.

Tony stayed at his side awhile longer, watching over him while he slept. Tony rubbed his eyes. Images of Peter lying dead and bloodied still fresh in his mind. The hallucinations hadn't stopped. He had just learned to live with them. The armored Avenger stopped telling Steve about them, though he suspected Steve still knew they were happening. Suddenly the teenager before him was covered in crimson. The thick liquid dripping from his mouth onto the white pillow. Tony grabbed Peter's wrist, feeling for a pulse. There was none. Tony screwed his eyes shut. This was just an illusion. It wasn't real. Peter was safe. And very much alive. Taking a deep breath, Tony forced himself to look at Peter. Sure enough, he was just fine. No blood. Peter's side rose and fell at a slow, steady pace.

Tony kissed Peter on the temple before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

  
"I mean, we won't know how much he really remembers until he wakes up," Tony hugged himself and looked away. He and Steve were in Strange's library. Natasha and Strange himself had been with them, but Strange had run off with Nat, wanting to show her a set of enchanted knives he had recently acquired.

Steve brushed his hand over Tony's and leaned closer to the shorter man, "you worry too much," he kissed him softly on the lips. Tony's eyes fluttered shut, enjoying every second of the kiss. He unfolded his arms and moved them around Steve. They broke apart when they heard someone gasp.

Spider-man stood in the doorway, mouth agape. He had gone to retrieve his mask but got side tracked when he heard familiar voices.

"Peter, it's not what you think!" Tony jumped back.

"I have two dads?! That's awesome!" A big smile broke out across his face.

"N-no, you, oh fuck..." Tony slapped a hand over his face.

"It sure is," Steve chuckled and ruffled Peter's hair.

"You should be in bed, young man!" Tony shoved Peter out the door.

"But, Toooooonnnnnyyyy. I'm not tired!" Peter protested.

"I don't want to hear it," Tony slammed the door in his face.

"Bye Tony! Bye dad number two!" Peter called from the other side before running off somewhere.

"How come I'm dad number two if he doesn't even call you dad?" Steve crossed his arms.

"Actually, he did call me dad, remember?" Tony puffed out his chest proudly. "And you're not his second dad. I'm his only parent. Got that?" He wasn't really sure where his relationship with Cap stood. If they could call it a relationship. They hadn't really discussed it. Although, this wasn't the first time they had kissed in the past month.

Steve chuckled and leaned back against a bookshelf, "you don't have to raise him on your own, you know."

"I've done fine so far," Tony snapped.

"Have you?" Steve raised an eyebrow.

"I've done better than my own father. So yes, I think I've done an okay job so far." Tony shrugged. "And I'm talking about the actual raising of the kid, like making sure he gets enough to eat, and reminding him to wear a jacket when it's cold out. And teaching him how to actually talk to girls instead of just sputtering like a fish out of water. I've done a shitty job of mentoring Spider-man as Iron Man. But we all already knew that."

Steve nodded, "well, he sounds like he's back to his old self."

Tony nodded in agreement. "I kinda hope Strange didn't return all his memories. He's suffered a lot these past few months. I don't want him developing PTSD before he even graduates high school."

"You can't control everything, Tony. All you can do now is be there for him. And I'll be right there with you. All of the Avengers will."

"Speaking of which..." Tony took out his phone. _Spidey's back in business_ he typed, promptly sending it to everyone on the team. As well as Nick Fury.  
-  
"Yeah, I'll talk to Vision about it. He'd be the best choice." Tony said from the driver's seat. Strange had kept Peter in the sanctum for another day, wanting to make sure everything was in order with his memories. Natasha had gone back to the compound to fill out a report for what happened in Chicago.

Now Steve and Tony were driving Peter home.

"I can keep teaching him history," Steve offered. They had decided Peter should be home schooled for the remainder of the year. He had already missed an entire month of school and would probably miss even more if they didn't pull him out now.

"I don't need school, like, at all," Peter leaned forward, his elbows resting on the front seat.

"Yes, you do. I don't care if you go to college or not, but you are finishing high school," Tony said firmly. "Are you wearing your seatbelt?"

Peter sat back. A seatbelt clicked into place. "Can I borrow a phone?"

"What for? We're almost home." Tony asked.

"I just want to make sure Ned's alright."

Steve twisted around in his seat to look at Peter, "who's Ned? A boyfriend?"

"What? No! He's just a friend! I'm not gay! At least, I don't think I am. I dunno," Peter rambled, "boys are cool but so are girls, ya know?"

"Oh, I know," Steve smirked, shooting a look at Tony. "So you're bi?"

"I-I guess?" Peter sunk into his seat, having not expected to have this conversation. His life since the spider bite had been so hectic he hadn't really thought about this particular aspect of it.

"Is there someone you like?" Steve pressed.

"Leave him alone, Captain bisexual." Tony sighed.

"I was just asking," Steve turned back around in his seat.

"It doesn't matter. Peter's not allowed to date until marriage. Hey! Peter! Stop kicking my seat, you little shi-"

"Language," Steve warned.

"Like he hasn't heard worse," Tony huffed.

"Those worse words better not have come from you," Steve pointed an accusing finger at Tony.

"Maybe. Don't worry. Peter's a sweet puppy, he won't repeat any of-"

"CUNT!" Peter shouted from the backseat. Tony burst out laughing, while Steve looked like he wanted to strangle both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed a more lighthearted chapter. The next one will be super light and fluffy as well. Peter needs a break. As do you, my dear readers.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	12. Getting the Band Back Together

"We're under attack!" Steve jumped over the couch and darted for the kitchen.

"Wait, what?! By who?!" Clint jumped to his feet, an arrow already drawn. Tony scrambled to his feet, about to call his armor.

"Spider-man!" Steve shouted right as the Avenger in question sprinted across the room. He kicked off the couch and threw a snowball at Steve, hitting him in the back of the neck. Peter landed in a crouch, another snowball in his other hand. He was in full costume, complete with a heavy winter coat, the fur hood pulled over his head. Steve was also in winter clothing.

"Oh." Clint flopped back onto the couch, turning his attention back to the TV.

"No snowball fights in the house." Tony rubbed his eyes. It was too early in the morning for this. He stomped over to Steve, who was pretending to die on the carpet.

"Tony...Tony..." He pawed at the other man's pant leg. "Avenge me...ugh..." His head lolled to the side, tongue flopping out of his mouth.

"Drama queen." Tony put his hands on his hips. A second snowball hit Tony in the face. "You little..." His eye twitched.

Peter ran.

"Clint. Get your coat. We're taking the kid DOWN." Tony grabbed his own coat from the back of a kitchen chair and raced after Peter.

"I thought I was the childish one?" Clint shook his head.

"Do you want to have a snowball fight or not?" Tony stopped in the doorway.

Clint got to his feet and stretched. "Is that even a question? Let me find my gloves..."

Tony wasn't surprised to see the mess Spider-man and Captain America had made of the front lawn. The perfect sheet of white that had fallen last night had been beaten to high hell. Half built forts dotted the lawn. Tony trudged over to a snowman.

"So. Where's he hiding?" Tony crossed his arms. The snowman just smiled its big charcoal smile.

_THUMP_

A glob of snow hit the back of Tony's head. He whirled around just in time to see Peter run around the corner. Tony quickly made a small stack of snowballs and ran around in the opposite direction. "Gotcha!!" He skidded to a halt behind the building. He was not expecting to see Natasha and Clint standing on either side of Peter. "Clint, you traitor!"

"I never said I was on your side!" Clint protested. Tony threw a snowball at him, but it missed and hit Natasha. That's when all hell broke loose.

A few minutes later Tony found himself diving behind a pile of snow. Steve was already there, hunched over and making snowballs as fast as he could. "There are too many!" Tony yelled.

"We'll have to call in reinforcements!" Steve said.

"There are none! Everyone's on Peter's side! Except for Sam!"

"What about Vision?"

"He said he's a pacifist."

"What? Since when?" Steve gawked.

"You got me!" Clint jumped over the fort, kicking up a flurry of snow when he landed.

"Hey, I thought you were-"

"You thought wrong, bitch!" Clint jumped up and threw a snowball. Peter yelped. "Bullseye!" He ducked back down when another lump of snow sailed right for him.

* * *

Peter looked around the room, holding his hot chocolate close to his chin. No seats left. Rhodey crouched next to the fire place, throwing a few extra sticks onto the flame. He had left the War Machine helmet on an arm chair as a way of claiming the seat. The snowball fight had gone on for a few hours. It only ended when Steve called a truce so that everyone could get dry clothes and warm up a bit.

"Kids on the floor!" Clint smirked.

"I'm not a kid. I'll be eighteen soon-"

"Still a kid. Park that skinny ass on the floor." Clint leaned over and patted the carpet in front of him.

Peter frowned and squished in between Steve and Natasha. It was a tight squeeze but he made it work. Peter had changed into more casual clothing, with his camera strung around his neck. Everyone had seen Spider-man with his camera at least once. But that was before they knew his identity. Now the camera was back. Steve asked to see it and Peter handed it over, making several people gasp. Spider-man never ever let anyone touch his camera. Not even Tony. Steve put down his drink so he could handle the camera with both hands.

"Wow. This is really light," Steve commented. "In my day they were much bulkier."

"We get it, you're old," Clint rolled his eyes. Tony nearly choked on his cocoa.

Steve ignored him. "What do you like to take pictures of?" He held the camera up to his face, looking at Tony through the viewfinder.

"People. Pigeons. Dogs. People. Mostly people." Peter shrugged. He switched the camera on, "you can look at them."

Steve scrolled through the pictures. Natasha leaned over Peter to try and get a good look. Peter doubled over so he was almost flat against his thighs, allowing her to get a better view of the camera. The pictures mostly consisted of odd moments in time. A pigeon pecking at a hot dog, the tiny bit of meat it had grabbed a blur of red in the air. A dog using a crosswalk. A couple arguing next to a newsstand. A kind looking old man who was in the middle of speaking to Peter when the teen took the photo. A cat washing itself on a fire escape. Steve tilted his head at the image of a woman with long brown hair. She was in a kitchen, making what looked like Christmas cookies, her face crinkled with laughter. She looked young, but the lines under her eyes told a different story. Her hair color was similar to that of Peter's.

"Is this your mother?" Steve asked softly.

Natasha moved back so Peter could sit up. "No, that's aunt May. She was the one who took care of me before Tony. And this-" he took the camera back and moved through the photos, "-is uncle Ben. You would've liked him. He's from Brooklyn."

Steve smiled, "he looks like a good man. Do you have any pictures of your parents?"

Peter nodded and showed him a picture of Steve and Tony drinking coffee together in the kitchen, oblivious to the fact that they were having their picture taken.

"Very funny," Steve snorted. "I meant your biological parents."

Peter shook his head. "I used to. Smile!" He leaned in close to Steve and pointed the camera at the two of them. The camera clicked and Peter immediately turned it back around to see how the picture had turned out. Steve ruffled Peter's hair. When he met Spider-man at that airport two years ago, he had never expected to become as fond of the kid as he was now. Maybe if things went well with Tony, he could officially become Peter's second dad. Steve smiled at the thought.

* * *

"Can you put the web wings back in it?" Peter asked as he turned in circles on his stool. Tony was in the middle of upgrading his suit. Karen and several other of the features had long since been removed, although Tony was debating putting the AI back in the suit for safety reasons.

"I thought we took them out because you never used them?"

"We did. But they look cool." Peter shrugged.

"Alright," Tony made a note to do so on his computer.

Peter used his webbing to grab his mask from the other side of the table. Tony watched him out of the corner of his eye. It was strange seeing the webs come out of his actual wrist. Peter refused to use the organic webs in combat, although he seemed to have no problem using them for simple tasks. Or for pranks. The moment Peter came home, he and Clint had been acting like the hounds of hell. No one was able was safe from their shenanigans. Except for, of course, Natasha. They may be idiots, but they didn't have a death wish.

"Left lens is squeaky," Peter reported. He carefully removed each of the delicate shutters and cleaned them.

"Widow wanted me to work on her new gauntlets. Do you want to help me with those after this?"

Peter didn't answer.

"Or not. That's fine. Anything else you want to work on?" Tony shrugged, not caring either way. "Peter?" Tony looked up when his son still hadn't answered. Peter was hunched over on his stool, hands clamped over his ears. His shoulders shook as he struggled to breathe. Peter stared ahead, his eyes wide yet unseeing.

Sensory overload. Or a panic attack. Or both. Tony wasn't sure.

Either way, Tony rushed over to him and wrapped him in a tight hug. "Shh, shh, breath. Just breathe." Peter drew in a shaky breath. "There you go. Breathe with me okay, kiddo? In. And out. In...and out. There you go, it's gonna be alright. Just keep breathing...in...and out..." Tony continued to speak softly to Peter until the teen was breathing normally again. Peter snaked his arms around Tony, hugging him tightly. Tony kissed the top of his head and rubbed soothing circles into his back.

"Sorry," Peter whispered.

"Don't. It's okay." Tony held him close, not wanting to let him go ever again. "You're okay..."

* * *

"I don't approve of this," Tony said over the phone. Steve could hear him pacing on the other end. Fury had told the Avengers to stay put and await their next orders. It had only been two weeks since they got Peter back, and tensions were still high. Tony had been making everyone participate in daily training, wanting them to be more than ready for their next meeting with their former teammates. Other than the snowball fight last week, Peter had been confined to the training hall. Rarely leaving unless he had to eat or sleep. Or if Tony needed him to test out the many upgrades he had been doing to Spider-man's suit.

Steve was the one who noticed how emotionally exhausted Peter had become, so he decided to sneak him out of the compound. "He needs time to be a kid, Tony." He said.

Tony sighed heavily on the other end, "I know, Cap. Now just really isn't a good time. Where are you anyway?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I am worried. I'm a worrier." Tony grumbled.

"I know. Tell the team to take the day off from training. Peter and I will be home for dinner."

"Rogers." Tony said firmly, "I appreciate you looking out for my kid but you are not his father-"

"What? I can't hear you over the sound of me being the fun dad!"

"'Fun dad'? Where the hell did you come up with that?"

"Peter. He says you're the lame dad. And I'm the fun dad."

"What?! Everyone knows I'm the fun dad!" Tony protested. Steve heard him hit something with a wrench.

"Keep telling yourself that. I'll see you at dinner, honey." Steve hung up before Tony could object.

"Is he mad?" Peter asked, kicking a snowbank on the sidewalk.

"Furious. But he'll get over it. When's the last time you've been to Coney Island?" Steve smiled.

Peter laughed nervously, "two years ago. I may have crashed a plane into it..."

* * *

"Steve drives like an old man," Peter reported at the dinner table.

"Capsicle is an old man," Tony reminded, pointing his fork at Peter. "Honestly, if you hadn't beaten him on the go cart track I would've had to disown you. So good job."

Steve jumped in to defend himself, "hey, now. My cart was slower-"

"Suuuuure it was. Anything to help your ego," Falcon chuckled.

"Pass the salt, please?" Peter asked Clint. Clint flipped him off and salted his own food again just to spite Peter. The web slinger responded by using his webs to yank the shaker out of Clint's hands.

"RUDE." Clint slammed a fist on the table. Peter webbed his mouth shut.

"Can you two not? Just for tonight, can you not?" Sam pleaded. "Don't you fucking dare." He snarled the second Peter raised his wrist at Sam. Peter lowered his arm.

"MMPH!" Clint tugged at the webbing on his mouth.

"How long does that stuff last?" Tony didn't bother looking up from his food.

Peter shrugged. "My old webs lasted an hour. I don't know about this stuff," he looked down at his wrists. "Four hours? Maybe more?"

Clint practically jumped over the table to strangle Peter, who jumped onto the ceiling. Clint grabbed a broom and tried to knock him down.

"Boys!" Natasha threw down her knife and fork. Peter and Clint took their seats, afraid of the Widow's wrath. Steve tried to free Clint with a pocket knife, but it didn't work. So the Archer had to sit in silence until the webbing slowly started to melt away after a few hours. Peter had a vial of solvent in his pocket and could've dissolved it at any point. But where was the fun in that?

* * *

"I doubt Tony will let me go back to Queens anytime soon," Peter sighed, twisting the wires of his headphone in between his fingers.

"Sneak out," Michelle said. She and Ned had called him over skype early the next morning before training started. They both looked extremely relieved to see him alive.

"Last time I did that, things didn't go so well," he pulled down one of his sleeves to show them the scar on his arm.

"What happened? And what the fuck is up with your mouth?" Michelle leaned in close to the screen.

"It's a long story," Peter shook his head. "How's school? Has it burned down, yet?"

"Not yet. It's only Monday, though. Everyone misses you at decathlon practice. Flash is still spreading rumors about you. The latest one is that you're hiding out in the woods, living as a cannibal." Michelle smirked.

Ned blinked, "MJ, you started that rumor..."

"No. I told Flash. He's the one who spread it." Michelle twirled a pencil in her hands.

Peter couldn't help but laugh at that. His phone buzzed, the words "Iron Dad" flashing on the screen. He ignored it.

"Are you still going to take me to prom, Parker?" Michelle asked, a small smile on her face.

"I'm taking you to prom?" Peter sputtered, not remembering that he said he would.

"You are now," Michelle smirked.

"It's a trap!" Ned gasped.

His phone buzzed again. "Hang on, guys," Peter frowned at his phone before answering it.

"Pack your things, kiddo. We're leaving in ten." Tony sounded upset.

"Why? Where are we going?" Peter looked back at his computer. Michelle drew a question mark in her sketchbook and held it up. Peter shrugged.

"SHIELD is on its way to take us out. Any means necessary. Fury won't explain why. He says he'll give us a ten-minute head start if we want to save our skins. Now we have nine minutes. Grab your suit and a toothbrush and let's go! Natasha already started up the Quinjet." With that Tony hung up.

"Sorry guys, Avengers emergency." Peter shut his laptop before his friends could say goodbye. He shoved it into a backpack along with his Spidey suit and a few other things. He took one last look around his room, then jumped out the window and raced across the lawn to the landing pad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this one, it was a lot of fun to write!
> 
> Now, back to our regularly scheduled shitshow.


	13. Cabin in the Woods

Peter crouched on a branch, looking down at the Avengers. The team walked silently through the woods, being led by Cap. They had ditched the quinjet in a field a few miles back. Peter slipped off his jacket and stuffed it in his backpack. The warm Georgia breeze ruffled his hair.

The trees opened up into a small clearing. A cabin was in the center of it. It looked as if no one had used it for awhile, with the vines snaking up the sides of it, and the weeds that had overtaken the lawn. One of the windows was smashed, the drapes now fluttering outside the house.

"There's no pregnant wife and kids in there, right?" Tony teased, remembering the last time they used a safe house. They didn't want to risk putting Clint's family in danger, so they didn't go back to the farm house.

Steve shook his head, not really in a joking mood. "This is where I lived after the Civil War incident. No one knows about it, we should be safe here." Steve unlocked the door and stepped aside.

Peter dropped his bag on the porch and walked around to the back of the small cabin. From there, the land sloped upwards and became rockier. Peter started hiking up the slope, eventually having to use his wall crawling abilities to scale the sides of the large rocks. It was more of a challenge than his regular wall crawling. Pebbles shifted under his feet with every step. A bird landed above him, its head cocked in curiosity over the strange creature scaling the mountain.

"What? Never seen a spider before?" Peter chuckled. The bird chirped and flew off.

He crawled out onto a cliff that overlooked the forest. Peter let his legs dangle over the edge. From up here, he could see the tiny gap in the trees were Steve's cabin was, as well as the field in which the Quinjet was hidden. Peter laid back on the stone, hands folded over his midsection. It was peaceful up here. As much as he loved living in the compound and web slinging in Queens, it was too loud for his heightened senses.

Everything from the whirr of Tony's various machines to the hum of the heating system, to the voices drifting through the hallways. There was always a constant sound at the facility. A constant distraction that made his ears ring. Queens was worse, with its loud traffic, constant yammering from citizens and strange new smells every few feet. Peter loved Queens with all his heart, but sometimes he just couldn't take it. All he could hear up on the cliff was the sound of the wind in the leaves. And the occasional call of a bird.

The peace only lasted for a few minutes, when Steve started calling his name. Peter sighed and crawled back down the mountain.

* * *

Peter wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep. But the next thing he knew he was waking up in a blanket nest on the floor. Steve and Tony slept peacefully on either side of him. Tony had his back pressed up against Peter's own. Steve rolled over, slapping Peter in the face with his arm. Peter shoved the Avenger off and sat up. A single beam of moonlight drifted through the drapes and landed on Sam, who was asleep on the couch. Rhodey reclined in the armchair and the Vision floated silently in the corner. His eyes were closed, but Peter wasn't sure if the android was actually sleeping. Natasha and Clint were nowhere in sight, Peter assumed they were sharing the bed in the other room.

A flash of red caught his attention. A flickering crimson from right outside the window. The red hue felt all too familiar.

Peter crawled away from his parents so he could slip into his Spider-man suit in private. After that was done he moved over to the front door, slowly pushing through it. The screen creaked and slammed shut behind him. Peter froze, looking over his shoulder. No sign of the noise having woken anyone.

The flickering light floated through the trees ahead.

Spider-man made his way through the woods, leaves crunching under his feet. The light was leading him up the mountain, to the same ledge he sat on earlier. The red light suddenly twinkled away into nothing.

"Welp..." Spidey sat down on the ledge, looking out at the stars. He smiled softly, taking in the night sky. A whirring noise caused him to look over his shoulder. A figure stood in the shadows, its glowing blue eyes trained on Spider-man.

"Tony?"

Iron Man silently stepped out into the light.

"I don't need you watching me twenty-four seven. I can take care of myself." Peter said.

"Mr. Stark is not connected," FRIDAY's voice spoke through the armor.

"He too lazy to come up here himself?"

"There is another. There is another. There is another." FRIDAY repeated over and over, her voice crackling. The armor twitched its head, its eyes flickering. "Unauthorized. Unauthorized."

"FRIDAY, power down!" Peter jumped to his feet.

"Voice command unauthorized." The armor stopped twitching. It turned and walked off somewhere. Peter groaned. He was too tired to deal with a buggy suit. The armor couldn't use its weapons without Tony's verbal permission, so the suit should be fine wandering around the woods until morning. Peter turned his attention back to the stars.

* * *

  
Something solid nudged Peter awake a bit later. The sun had just started to rise, the sky a grayish pink. Iron Man stood over him.

"Oh. You again."

"Yes, me again," Tony spoke this time.

"You fixed the suit?" Peter stood up and stretched.

Tony lifted his face plate to reveal a frown, "what do you mean?"

"That suit was following me around last night, acting all weird," Peter explained.

Tony lowered his faceplate and asked FRIDAY to show him the suit's security footage from last night. "This suit hasn't left the Quinjet until now."

"No. I definitely saw it walking around on its own last night." Peter poked the arc reactor in its chest.

"If you say so. I don't have time to worry about it right now. I'm going to meet Fury. Figure out what's going on. Oh, and you shouldn't sleep up here. You'll fall and break your neck," Tony's voice was as metallic as ever behind his mask.

"I won't fall." Peter put his hands on his hips and stuck out his tongue, distorting his mask in the process.

"Whatever. I'll be back in a few hours," with that, Iron Man blasted off into the sky.

* * *

Spider-man sat on the porch railing, watching as Iron Man flew overhead. "He's back!" The web slinger still wore his costume, but the mask had been discarded inside the cabin. He hopped off the railing and ran out to meet his father. The Avengers gathered on the porch as Iron Man slammed down a few yards away.

"So, what's the news, shellhead?" Cap leaned against the railing.

"RUN." Tony boomed, making Spidey jump back. "BANNER HAS CONTROL OF MY ARMOR!!" He shot his repulsor at Cap without warning. Thankfully, Steve jumped out of the way just in time. Iron Man shot towards the Avengers at full speed, knocking Natasha and Sam to the ground.

"Is that even possible?!" Rhodey gasped. His own armor was back on the quinjet.

"It shouldn't be! Figure out how he did it later! Shut it down now! I can't do anything in here! You guys have to destroy the reactor before someone gets hurt!" Tony explained. Cap grabbed his shield and slammed into Iron Man's chest. The Iron Avenger stumbled back before catching his footing and attacking Steve.

"Don't worry, Stark, taking down that tin can should be no trouble," Clint shot an arrow at his shoulder. The arrow sent shock waves through the armor, causing the eye pieces and arc reactor to flicker. The armor reached up and tore the arrow away.

"You just gave it more juice, you idiot!" Tony groaned, watching the power level go up a few notches on his screen.

Spider-man jumped onto his back, sticking his feet in place and clawing at the chest piece. "Almost got it!" He smashed the protective glass and had his fingers inches away from the reactor itself. The armor blast backward, slamming Spider-man into a tree. The bark splintered under the weight, still, Spider-man held on tight. Iron Man rocketed up the side of the mountain, smashing Spider-man through rocks and trees.

"Sorry!" Tony yelled.

"It's all good," Peter called back right before he lost his footing, giving the suit the leverage it needed to knock the wall crawler off for good. Spider-man tumbled across a ledge, skidding to a halt right before he fell off the side. From there he scrambled up the cliff face. He could hear the rest of the team hurrying up the mountain. Spidey needed to keep Iron Man distracted until they arrived.

Iron Man blasted repulsor after repulsor as his son clambered around the rocks. "Keep moving! My sensors-"

"I know!" Spider-man jumped into the air, narrowly avoiding getting his feet severed. He launched himself at a tree. A repulsor blast destroyed the branch Spidey was aiming for. Spider-man flailed his arms letting out a cry as he plummeted to the ground.

"SPIDEY!!" Sam screamed, he had reached the pair first thanks to his flight suit and dived down to catch the wall crawler.

Spider-man twisted around in midair and shot a web between two rocks, creating a soft place for him to land. "I'm okay!" Peter landed on all fours. The Iron Man armor turned on Falcon, giving Peter the time he needed to run for cover. "Take out the reactor, just gotta take out the reactor," he muttered to himself, using his organic webbing to propel himself further up the mountain. Once Iron Man was completely focused on his battle with Sam, as well as War Machine and Captain America, who had just shown up, Spider-man made his move. He grabbed a rock, planning to smash the reactor with it and jumped down onto Tony. In one swift motion, Iron Man spun around and blasted Spider-man in midair. The blast hit him square in the chest, sending him flying back against a boulder. He slid down the stone, hands hovering over the nasty burn on his chest.

"NO!!" Tony screamed in anguish.

Iron Man started to fly towards him but Steve jumped onto his back, tackling him to the ground. "Forget the reactor for right now, take out the repulsors!" Tony pleaded, and Steve was glad to comply, bringing the shield down on Tony's hand left hand. Tony bit back a cry of pain when his hand shattered along with the gauntlet.

"Sorry, Tony..." Steve whispered.

"Just do what you have to do, Rogers!" Tony hissed. The Iron Man suit flipped onto its back and shot forward, throwing Steve off and rocketing towards Peter. It landed with a thud in front of the youngest Avenger and grabbed him by the hair.

"You caused a lot of trouble for Wanda and I. Running off like that," Bruce's voice came in through Tony's speaker. "After everything we did for you? This is how you repay us?"

Peter's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

"Useless. Such a waste of my time. Years of research and nothing to show for it." Bruce made the suit pull back its fist. Peter threw up his arms in a vain effort to defend himself.

"DON'T!!" Tony's pleas landed on deaf ears. He closed his eyes right before the fist made contact. Something cracked. Peter howled in pain.

"BANNER, STOP THIS!!" Rhodey screamed. He wasn't far from Tony but was afraid Peter would be killed in the crossfire if he tried to attack now.

Tony opened his eyes to see the suit's hand wrapped around Peter's throat. The tasers in the suit's finger tips activated.

Spider-man _screamed_.

The sound sent shivers down Tony's spine. He screwed his eyes shut, unable to watch his son writhe in pain. The tasers were meant to be used at a distance. Direct contact like this...Tony didn't want to think of the consequences.

Spider-man's screams abruptly cut off and he went limp, his eyes half open.

"Good lord...is he...?" Steve looked at Peter's limp form in absolute horror.

Before Tony could answer, Spider-man sprung to life, kicking the suit in the chest and sending it crashing onto its back. The wall-crawler plunged his fist into the arc reactor, destroying it in one blow. The suit whirred, its eyes blinking, then going blank for good.

"Sweet Jesus, get me out of this thing..." Tony gasped. Peter used the last of his strength to rip open the suit. He dropped to his hands and knees, breathing heavily. Tony wrapped his arms around his son, chanting "I'm sorry" over and over.

Steve knelt next to them, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder, "let me see that wound, son." Peter nodded, wincing as he shifted around to give Steve a better look at his burnt chest. The spider logo was completely gone, with parts of the fabric around it melted to his flesh. Blood seeped down his torso. "Can you stand?"

Peter shook his head violently. His whole body trembled from the effects of the tasers. Tony tightened his grip on his son as a way to steady him.

"Thank god, that's over..." Clint breathed in relief. He and Natasha had just arrived.

"Not quite." Falcon pointed at the sky.

"Uh oh..." Natasha looked up. Several helicopters were advancing on their location. Even more Quinjets appeared above them, their stealth modes lifted. Natasha wondered how long they had been there. High above them all was a Helicarrier.

One of the helicopters flew a bit too close for comfort.

"STAND DOWN." Nick Fury's voice ordered over an intercom. "HANDS IN THE AIR."

The Avengers formed a protective circle around Tony and Peter. Rhodey refused to step out of his suit at first but did so when one of the Quinjets pointed a missile at them.

"Stark, what's going on?" Steve called over the roar of the helicopters.

"Wanda turned SHIELD against us. When I met with Fury it sounded like he was still on our side." Tony reported.

"So you told him where we were?" Natasha frowned.

"No, of course not! I don't know how they found us!" Tony shot back.

Three of the helicopters landed on the mountain, SHIELD agents pouring out of them. The helicopters kicked up wind and dirt, their loud proppellers masking whatever orders the agents were shouting at the Avengers. One by one, the team was put into handcuffs and hauled onto the helicopters.

"H-hey!" Spider-man barked when two men wrestled him away from Tony. They shoved him into the dirt and twisted his arms behind his back. A pair of handcuffs were tightened painfully around his wrists.

"Be careful! He's injured!" Tony yelled, doing his best to help Peter to his feet. The two men ignored him, dragging Peter onto one of the helicopters. Someone else put Tony in handcuffs and pulled him in the opposite direction. "Let me go! I have to help-"

"I think you've 'helped' enough, Stark. We saw everything," Fury walked calmly over to the Avenger. "On top of everything else that you are currently being arrested for, you can add attempted murder and child abuse to that list."

"What?! No, Fury, you don't understand! It wasn't me-"

"I don't want to hear it." Fury waved his hand and Stark was dragged onto a fourth helicopter that had just landed. "Take him straight to the interrogation room."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter chapter than usual. I hope you enjoyed, nonetheless. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! :)


	14. Back in Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An extra paragraph was added about an hour after uploading this chapter. It got left out on accident, sorry for any confusion.

Fury folded his hands on the cold metal table. Across from him sat Tony Stark. His mouth was pressed into a thin line as he glared at the handcuffs on his wrists. A laptop was placed between them. It had been playing footage of Iron Man attacking the Avengers, but it had been paused on the image of Iron Man punching Spider-man.

"Stark-"

"I ain't telling you shit until I see him." Tony looked up at Fury. He sounded angry, but he didn't look it. He just looked...sad.

"You won't be seeing Peter for a very long time. If ever again."

"I didn't hurt my son," Tony said for the tenth time in the past hour.

"It sure looks that way to me," Fury pressed play on the computer. Tony stared blankly at himself electrocuting Peter. There was no sound on the video. Tony didn't need it anyway, those screams still echoed in his mind. He would remember them until the day he died.

"I told you. I wasn't in control of the armor. Nick, please, you know Peter means the world to me. I would do anything for him. Anything. Please let me see him. He's probably having a panic attack right now and I'm the only one who can help him through it."

"No."

"If I can't see him, then tell me. Is he going to be alright?" Tony whispered.

Fury nodded. "With time he should make a full recovery. Doctor Banner is overseeing his treatment."

"You can't trust Banner!" Tony slammed both his fists on the table. "He's the one who-"

"Told us where you all were hiding. He's been a huge help to us." Fury said calmly.

"He experimented on my child. Tortured him. I want that man on death row." Tony's voice dripped with venom.

"That's funny. Doctor Banner said you were the one who did that," Fury frowned.

"We literally had this same conversation a few weeks ago! You believed me when I told you Banner did it-"

"I remember no such conversation."

"Then ask Peter. Surely his word would be trusted above all others." Tony held his head in his hands.

"I would. If you hadn't fried him to hell and back. The poor kid can barely form a logical sentence!" Fury answered. "The only thing he's said that's made sense is 'I want to see my family'. That's it. The rest is just garbled nonsense."

"What kind of nonsense?" Tony's heart ached. He wanted nothing more than to hold Peter in his arms and promise him that everything would be alright. Now he was stuck in a cell somewhere he didn't recognize, with his torturer tending to his wounds. The kid must be terrified.

"He keeps talking about a red light. And blue thread. Said something about a bird once. Like I said. Nonsense."

"He's trying to tell you that Bruce is the one who tortured him. His mouth was sewn shut with blue thread, remember?" Tony pointed at his own mouth. "The red light probably has something to do with Scarlet Witch's magic."

"What about the bird?"

"That, I don't know." Tony shrugged. "Maybe he was making a joke about Hawk Eye?"

"I tell you what. You be a good criminal and answer all our questions honestly, and I'll give you five minutes with Peter." Fury collected the laptop and left before Stark could agree to the deal. A minute later a SHIELD agent Tony had never seen before stepped into the room. Another agent followed close behind with lie detector equipment. Tony remained still as the second agent hooked him up to the machine.

"Alright, Mr. Stark. Let's start with the basics. Give me your full name. High school. And parents names. Then, I want you to tell me something that isn't true about yourself."

Tony did so. The second agent gave a thumbs up to signal the lie detector was working.

"Let's begin the real questioning. Did you touch him?"

"Excuse me?" Tony's mouth fell open.

"Did you touch your son." The agent repeated, "sexually-"

"That's absurd! I would never!" Tony would've been standing at this point if his feet weren't chained to the floor. His face twisted with rage, "never ever in a million years would I ever do something like that. Why are you asking? Did you find something when you were treating his wounds?! I swear to god, if someone touched my boy, I'll-"

The agent held up their hand, "we know you did no such thing. That was the real test to see if the lie detector was working. Congrats, you passed."

"Bastards." Tony glared at the wires around his chest. "This isn't a regular lie detector. What is this?"

"Regular lie detectors aren't reliable. This is something designed by SHIELD. Please do not ask any more questions, Mr. Stark." The agent opened a file on their laptop. "Okay. First off, we have a few questions about your involvement in Chicago..."

* * *

  
"This doesn't make any sense." Fury frowned from the other side of the two-way mirror. After being questioned for several hours, Stark was now alone in the interrogation room.

"Maybe not. But he believes he helped in Chicago. Even though all our sources say he was the one who started the fire. He was also unaware of similar incidents in L.A. and Kansas City." The agent shrugged.

"Did you ask him about the experimentation on his own child?"

"I did. He still claims it was Doctor Banner and not him. Maximoff told us Iron Man lashed out after she and Banner freed Peter. Burned down the training complex in the process. Our lie detector must be faulty because it one hundred percent believes Stark is telling the truth."

"The detector isn't faulty. What Maximoff said about Stark having a mental breakdown must be true. He's fabricated all these lies to cope with it." Fury nodded, "We must be sure, though. I want you to question the other Avengers. Let me know if their stories are the same as his. For now, let Stark out of the handcuffs."

"Are you sure that's wise-"

"He's just a man. He can't hurt anyone without his armor. Besides, I promised I'd let him see his son if he complied." Fury said, then went into the interrogation room. The agent hurried after and freed Stark from his handcuffs. Tony rubbed his sore wrists. Fury motioned for Tony to follow, and he did so without a word. Everyone eyed him warily as the two walked through the Helicarrier. They went to another level, where a small cell block was housed. Tony glanced around at his team, giving them apologetic looks. There were no bars on the cells, just strange blue energy fields.

Steve pressed himself against the energy field, "Tony! Are you alright?"

Tony nodded, too numb to say anything.

Fury stopped in front of the last cell. The prisoner within still wore his red and blues. He was curled up on the cot, his back to his visitors. At first, Tony thought he was dead. But then Peter shuddered, and relief flooded through the Avenger.

"There he is. Happy?" Fury leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

Bruce Banner stood next to the cell, writing something on a clipboard. He glanced up at Tony, his face betraying no emotions.

"No." Tony gave Banner a cold look. Fury sighed and punched a command into the screen on the wall. The energy field shut off. Tony hadn't been aware of the loud hum created by the field until it was gone. Tony went over to Peter and carded a hand through his hair. The wall crawler bolted up, fists flying. Tony grabbed him by the wrists. "Just me, Spider-man."

"Oh, h-hey dad," Peter relaxed and hugged his father, his voice was weak and he was breathing much too loudly. Tony returned the hug gently, afraid to hurt him even more than he already had. He pulled away after a minute and held Peter at arm's length. Heavy bandages could be seen through the hole in his suit. An ugly bruise covered the side of his jaw where the Iron Man suit had punched him. Tony looked him over carefully, just to make sure Bruce hadn't tried anything.

"I'm fine, Tony." After everything that had just happened, Peter still looked at him with nothing but trust. Tony wished Peter wouldn't look at him like that. It would make dealing with the guilt much easier.

"No, you're not." Tony pulled him close once more. "You almost died because of me."

"But I didn't. What's going on? When can we go home?" Peter tried to stand, but his legs gave out. Tony caught him before he hit the floor and made him sit back down.

Fury answered him, "you won't be going home with Stark. Or any of the Avengers. You will remain in SHIELD custody until you turn eighteen. After that, what you do with your life is up to you."

"You can't do that, Nick. I demand to speak to a lawyer-"

"Denied. This is your cell, for now, Stark. Parker, come with me. It's your turn for questioning." Fury moved in between Tony and his son.

"Hey, you said five minutes!" Tony reminded. Fury ignored him, looping an arm around the boy to steady him as they walked out of the cell.

"Parker's still a bit disoriented. I suggest you wait on that," Bruce spoke up.

Fury shook his head and had Peter lean against the wall, "he looks fine. Well, actually, he looks like he's at death's door. But he's talking in complete sentences. That's good enough for me." He turned the force field on over Tony's cell, then put a pair of handcuffs on Peter.

"Is that necessary?" Tony frowned.

"Director Fury, I really think you should wait before questioning Spider-man. He needs to rest," Bruce advised.

"I don't need input from either of you." Fury snapped. "If you're so worried, doctor Banner, then, by all means, follow along."

Bruce moved to support Spider-man, but Peter slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me. I can walk." He snarled. He followed Fury, head held high in a form of defiance. Tony frowned at the way Peter stumbled around. Had Bruce done something to his legs, or was his inability to walk straight caused by Tony's tasers? Neither option sounded appealing.

"Banner, you so much as look at Peter wrong and I will slit your throat," Natasha hissed as they walked past.

"I mean Peter no harm," Bruce spoke calmly right before closing the door to the cell block.

"Fucking liar," Clint said under his breath.

"Stark! What's the plan, buddy?" Steve called. His partner was currently walking in circles, rubbing his hands over his face.

"I'm working on it," Tony answered. "Give me a few hours and I should be able to dismantle the force fields. It'll take awhile without the proper tools, though."

"Us breaking out of here might not look the best. We gotta convince Fury we're innocent." Sam pointed out. "Otherwise we'll just be on the run for the rest of our lives."

"We won't be able to convince him of anything as long as he's under Wanda's spell," Natasha countered. "What about you, Vision? Any bright ideas?"

The android floated in the back of his cell, having been silent up until now. The forcefield wrapped around the entire inside of his cell, preventing him from morphing through the walls. "Unfortunately not, miss Romanov. I think it is best that we wait and let matters unfold."

Everyone went quiet when a pair of SHIELD agents entered the room. They took Rhodey away for questioning.

Over the next several hours, each of the Avengers was questioned. Food was also brought to them, and Tony was able to get the time from one of the guard's watches. 10:00pm. They had been held captive for nearly twelve hours. After dinner, the lights dimmed. Peter still hadn't returned. Fury had said he wouldn't, but Tony held onto a small bit of hope that he would.

* * *

Tony groaned when the lights switched on without warning. "Who the fuck-oh." He had momentarily forgotten where he was. Three nights had passed. Nobody had been further questioned since their first day on the Hellicarrier. Fury hadn't shown back up and Tony was convinced the director was planning on letting them rot in their cramped cells. Bruce came by every once in awhile, he would walk through the cell block, say hello, then leave. Tony tried to get information about Peter whenever Bruce stopped by, but Bruce refused to say anything other than "he's alive". The cot Tony slept on creaked as he sat up. He ambled over to the force field and did a headcount of his team. Everyone was present. And awake. Trays of food had been put in their cells while they slept. Tony eyed his breakfast. Although his stomach growled, he didn't think he'd be able to keep anything down. Not with Peter's distressed screams still ringing in the back of his head. He hadn't been able to eat more than a few bites here and there the past few days.

The doors slid open, and in walked Spider-man. Tony was relieved to see him walking normally again. His healing factor must have kicked in.

"Back in black. I like it," Clint commented.

Peter stopped and looked down at himself. He wore a black version of his suit, a large white spider covering his chest and back. "Wanda made me wear it." His lenses didn't move like they did on his normal suit, a fact that Clint found unsettling.

"Nevermind. I hate it." The Archer backtracked.

"Please tell me you're here to free us. The food sucks ass," Sam leaned against the force field, arms crossed.

Spider-man pointed up at one of the security cameras, "can't. Not yet."

"Why aren't you behind bars with us?" Natasha narrowed her eyes, part of her was worried that Peter was back under Wanda's spell. But he wasn't acting like it. "You were arrested too."

"Fury thinks all my actions were influenced by you guys. So I'm not being held accountable. This is the one time I am perfectly fine with being treated like a kid," Spider-man went over to the nearest cell, which happened to be Steve's. He examined the force field at a distance, not wanting to look too suspicious on the cameras. "I took out their audio, by the way. We have two minutes left before they get it back online."

"I take it you have a plan," Steve said.

Spidey nodded, "I do. But Fury is watching me too closely. Luckily, I was able to find someone who can help. If all goes well we should be out of here by noon." He straightened up suddenly, "spider-sense...I gotta go! I'll be back, I promise!" He darted out the door before anyone could speak. A minute later Bruce poked his head into the room. He looked around silently and left.

Tony went back to pacing in his cell. Steve tried to start a friendly conversation, but Tony wasn't really in the mood. He just listened as Steve talked about whatever popped into his head. He could hear Natasha, Vision, and Rhodey chatting at the other end of the room. Clint used his breakfast tray as a drum, beating on the back of it with a spoon and singing some god awful children's song until Sam very loudly told him to shut the fuck up.

After a few hours, Tony gave into his hunger and ate his now cold breakfast. He was surprised he was able to keep any of it down and chalked it up to seeing Peter alive and well. Was he well? Tony stopped mid chew to think about it. The mask hid Peter's expression, so there was no telling if he was in pain or not. He didn't sound like he was. Was the burn on his chest healing alright? Tony forced himself to swallow his food. The image of fabric melted onto Peter's skin and the dark crimson that soaked the front of his torso was called back to the front of his mind. Tony dumped his remaining food into the toilet.

"Tony."

The scientist looked up when he heard his name. Steve's cell was directly across from his. The soldier had a sad, almost longing look on his face.

"It's going to be alright. Everything's going to be alright." Steve gave him a warm smile. "When we get out of here I'm going to take you somewhere special. I don't know where yet. So I'm open for suggestions."

"Fondue?" Tony smirked.

"Get your head out of your ass."

"Maybe I like having it there?" Tony tossed the tray onto his cot. It bounced off and clattered on the floor.

"Whatever floats your boat. I'm serious though, I think we should go on a real date."

Tony's expression softened. "I'd like that," he sat cross legged on the floor, facing his partner. Steve did the same.

"When did you two start dating?!" Clint gasped, having heard their entire conversation.

"Good question," Tony shrugged. "Are we dating?"

"I was under the impression that we were," Steve chuckled.

"Iron Man and Captain America. The ultimate power couple." Rhodey did finger guns at them.

"Never do that again," Tony frowned. Rhodey did it again just to spite him.

**_BANG_ **

The doors flung open. A single SHIELD agent stepped into the room. He stood there a minute, looking around at all the cells. A blacked out gas mask hid his face. The walkie talkie on his shoulder crackled. He held it close to his chin as he spoke. "We're all good here. Everyone's accounted for. No need to send backup." As soon as he got an 'Okay' from the person on the other end, he typed something into the control panel. All the energy fields lifted. "We have five minutes until all the security feeds are back online."

The Avengers cautiously slipped out of their cells.

"Let's GO." The agent waved his arm aggressively, before turning on heel and sprinting out the door. The Avengers exchanged looks before following the rogue SHIELD agent.

"Why are you helping us?" Steve asked.

"Because I'm the only one who's going to. Maximoff didn't corrupt me like she did the others. Fury will never let you people leave here alive. I have a jet ready to go up on deck." The man started running a bit faster.

"Wait! The interrogation room is that way!" Tony halted at a fork in the hallway. "Peter-"

"Wouldn't still be there. He could be anywhere on the carrier," Steve skidded to a stop next to Tony.

"I have to start somewhere. You guys go on ahead, I'm going to look for Spidey-"

The agent grabbed Tony by the arm before he could get very far. The man may have been a lot smaller than Tony, but he had a grip like iron. "No. We have to go now. If anyone sees you they'll shoot you on the spot."

"I'm not leaving my son with those psychopaths!"

"Your son is safe. I promise! He's going to meet us in Queens."

"Why should I trust you? I can't even see your face!" Tony snapped.

"Peter said he had someone on the inside helping him," Clint pointed out.

"I still don't trust this guy," Tony didn't budge.

"Stark, we don't have time for this!" Sam shouted. "We have no other plan. This is our best option-our only option-and you know it!"

"We have three minutes left. Hurry." The agent let go of Tony and continued running down the hall. Tony took a deep breath to steady himself and followed the mysterious agent. The agent led the group up a maintenance stairwell and onto the top deck.

The Quinjet mentioned earlier wasn't too far from the exit to the stairs. No other Agents were in sight. They could hear gunshots and shouts from somewhere on the other side of the ship.

"Spider-man's creating a distraction. Let's go!"

The rogue agent dropped the ramp and motioned everyone on board. Steve's face lit up when he saw his shield in one of the seats. Falcon's flight suit, Black Widow's stingers, and Clint's bow and arrows were also on the jet. The only thing missing was a pair of Iron Man suits.

"Sorry, couldn't sneak the War Machine on here very easily. And Iron Man was in pieces," the Agent closed the ramp and jumped into the pilot's chair. "A quick stop by Avenger's facility, then off to Queens...uh oh." He had just spotted a swarm of SHIELD agents running towards them. "Click it or ticket!" The rogue yelled as he started the engines. Everyone grabbed onto something right as they took off.

"We got company!" Natasha warned, watching out the back windows as a pair of fighter jets flew towards them. Their guns were at the ready, and they were closing in fast.

"STEALTH MODE! GO INTO STEALTH MODE!" Steve ordered.

"HOW?!" The agent yelled back, "I don't actually know how to fly one of these things!"

"We're all going to die," Clint whispered.

Sam darted forward and punched the button, instantly putting the jet into stealth mode. The agent made a sharp turn and ducked under one of their pursuers, and continued flying in the opposite direction. The two jets that had been following them continued forward for a short bit before having no choice but to return to the Helicarrier.

Once they were safe, the stranger put the jet into auto pilot and turned the seat around to face the Avengers. "Everyone alright?"

"We are. Thanks to you. What's your name, soldier?" Steve held out his hand for the agent to shake.

Before the agent could answer, Natasha stormed over and ripped off the gas mask.

Steve gasped.

"Hell yeah, bug boy saves the day!!" Clint put Peter in a headlock and ruffled his hair.

"Nice work, kid." Tony smiled softly at his son, "but why the fuck didn't you say anything?"

"I said lots of things." Peter squirmed out of Clint's grip.

"Not what I meant."

"The gas mask distorted my voice. Which, in my defense, I didn't know that it would until I started talking. So I decided to have a bit of fun with it."

"You're an awful awful human being." Stark groaned. He flopped down in a seat, holding his head in one hand. He felt like he had aged twenty years in the past twenty-four hours alone.

"Look who's talking," Peter shot back.

"But if you're here, then who was making the distraction when we were running for the jet?" Rhodey asked.

"You guys weren't the only prisoners. There were about ten other actual criminals with super powers. I let them out." Peter answered. "Fury will have his hands full for awhile."

Rhodey nodded, "and who was this person who was helping you out from the inside? Or was that a lie, too?"

Peter shook his head, "no. That was Ned, my buddy from school. He remotely hacked into the Helicarrier to take out the security feeds."

"How are your wounds?" Steve asked a bit nervously. "Fury said Banner treated you."

"He pumped a bunch of drugs into my system so that Fury couldn't interrogate me. He didn't do jack shit to actually help me." Peter growled. Tony clenched his fists, angry at himself for not noticing Peter had been drugged when he first saw him shaking in his cell. It explained why he wasn't able to walk properly. "I did what I could to fix up my chest. It hurts like hell, so I'm gonna go lay down. Who wants to drive?" 

"I will," Steve switched places with Peter. "Natasha, can you-"

"On it," Natasha was already retrieving the first aid kit by the emergency exit. "Let's get you fixed up, little spider."

* * *

Steve landed the jet a few miles from the Avengers facility. Just far enough away that they wouldn't be on SHIELD's radar, but still close enough for Tony and Rhodey to quickly get their suits. He glanced over his shoulder at his team. He was still in a state of amazement that they had all made it out alive. He couldn't help but smile at Tony, who returned it weakly. Tony was sitting on the floor, with Peter in his lap. He had his arms wrapped tightly around the sleeping wall crawler.

"Don't squish him," Steve teased.

"I won't," Tony whispered, planting a kiss atop Peter's head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was very dialogue heavy, but I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	15. Peter is Broken

Peter hesitated, his hand hovering over the spider logo on his chest. "This is gonna hurt..." He took a deep breath and clicked the button. His costume instantly tightened around his body. He let out a strangled cry as the reinforced fabric tightened around his chest.

"Everything all right in there?" Tony knocked on the door.

"Yeah, just peachy." Peter wheezed. He looked up at himself in the bathroom mirror. It felt good to be back in his usual red and blues. Well, as good as it could feel when you had a giant third degree burn on your chest. The SHIELD uniform he had been wearing was crumpled in the trash. Peter took a deep breath and tugged the mask over his face. "I can do this. I got this." He stepped out of the bathroom. The Avengers had shacked up in a run down hotel on the side of the road. They had gotten one room, paid in cash. They paid a bit extra to ensure no questions were asked by the person behind the front desk. With Clint's farm and Steve's cabin no longer safe places, they had to get creative with their new hide out.

Spider-man looked around the room at his family, doing a head count just to put his mind at ease. Clint was laying on one of the beds, with Natasha sitting cross legged next to him. Steve was sitting on the couch with Sam, talking in hushed voices. Rhodey was messing with the TV, and Vision hovered in the corner. And Tony...

Spider-man gulped at the disappointed look his father was giving him.

"Why are you wearing that?"

"I have nothing else to wear." Peter shrugged.

"Bullshit. I had my armor grab you a change of clothes when it left the facility." Tony folded his arms. "Where did you get that suit?" Tony had remotely activated a pair of suits for himself and Rhodey. The suits were currently powered down in the Quinjet hidden down the road.

"I brought it with me. I can't fight crime without a mask," Spider-man defended himself.

"You aren't going to be fighting jack shit until that burn heals." Tony snapped, yanking Peter's mask off. "It's been how long since we escaped SHIELD? Five hours? Six at most? Lay down and let your body rest."

"I can't. I have stuff to do back in Queens." Peter grabbed his mask, but Tony's grip on it didn't let up, and Peter found himself playing tug of war.

"What are you talking about? You have no business being in Queens right now." Tony frowned. "Our focus is still on Scarlet Bitch and Oscar the Grouch. Not crime fighting in Queens. The team needs you at full strength so we can make our next move."

"And what is our next move, exactly?" Peter practically hissed.

"I don't know! You'll be the first to know when we figure it out!" Tony shot back.

Steve and Sam had stopped talking, their attention now on Tony and Peter. "You both need rest," Steve instructed.

"I do not!" Tony let go of the mask so he could shove Peter back into the bathroom. "Put on some regular clothes!" He slammed the door shut and leaned against it, not letting Peter leave.

"Tony." Steve said adamantly, "You've barely slept these past few days. I get that you're stressed, we all are. But you need to calm down before you let your anger get the better of you."

Peter knocked on the door, "let me out."

"Did you change?" Tony asked.

"Yes."

Tony stepped aside. Peter kicked open the door. He had changed out of the top part of his suit, putting on a baggy white t-shirt in its place. He still wore the pants and boots of his costume. "Happy?" He held out his arms.

Tony just huffed. "I'm going for a walk." He stormed out of the room.

"Wow. I love being a part of a soap opera." Clint commented, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Should I go after him?" Natasha asked.

Steve shook his head, "give him some time."

Peter laid down on the other bed, curling into a tight ball with his back to everyone. Natasha moved to his side and pet his hair comfortingly. The pain medicine they had wasn't strong enough for Peter's metabolism. Peter was doing his best to hide the pain, but Natasha saw right through him.

"They said they were going to level Queens," Peter whispered. "They told me. Right before Wanda wiped my memories. They didn't say when. Just that they were going to make it look like the Avengers did it. Like what they did in Chicago. But on a bigger scale."

Natasha's expression darkened. She remembered the voicemail Peter had left his friends over a month ago, telling them to get out of Queens.

"I need to get back to Queens. What if they attacked tonight?" Peter's voice was barely audible.

"They won't."

"How do you know?" Peter turned his head to look at her.

"Because they already have all of SHIELD against us. Destroying Queens and blaming it on us would be redundant." Natasha assured him. "What would you do if you did go to Queens tonight? You're in no shape to web sling. Much less fight."

"But I'd have you guys to back me up," Peter pointed out.

Natasha didn't answer.

"You guys would back me up, right?" Peter repeated, his voice faltering.

"Of course we would," Natasha sighed. "I have to agree with Tony on this one, though. You're not fighting anyone until you're back to one hundred percent health."

"I'm supposed to protect Queens, though, it's my job-"

"No. It's not. You're seventeen, Peter. You need to stop carrying the world on your shoulders." Natasha sighed.

"I'm not carrying the world. Just Queens." Peter looked away.

* * *

_"Where were you?!" Michelle screamed. Blood was pouring down her face as she dragged herself across the broken asphalt. "Why didn't you save us?!"_

_Spider-man was on his back, half crab walking, half scrambling to get away from his screaming friend. One minute Peter had been dreaming of web slinging across the New York skyline, free as a bird. And the next...everything was on fire. His web snapped and he had plummetted to the ground. A pile of corpses had broken his fall. He recognized them as the bodies of his classmates. He fought his way through the mess of carcasses. Bloodied hands grabbed at every inch of his body, threatening to tear his suit. Wails split through the night. People were crying, begging Spider-man to save them. But there was nothing that Spider-man could do that would save the dead._

_"They're all dead because of you!" She screamed and grabbed him by the ankle, pulling him back towards the pile of corpses. "You weren't there for uncle Ben. Or aunt May. OR US. WHAT KIND OF HERO ARE YOU IF YOU NEVER SAVE ANYONE?!"_

_"I TRIED!!!" Peter shrieked._

_"YOU DIDN'T! YOU KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN. YOU KNEW AND YOU DID NOTHING." Ned yelled, grabbing Peter's other leg._

_The whirring sound of an Iron Man suit caused Peter to look up. The Avengers stood over him. All of them looking down at him with pure hatred._

_"Help me!!" Peter cried out. No matter what he did he was unable to stop himself from being pulled into the pile of corpses._

_"Do you really think any of us would want to help you, little spider?" Natasha growled. "Why would we help some useless kid?"_

_Bruce and Wanda appeared at Iron Man's side. "Such a poor excuse for a hero. You really think that anyone was ever on your side?"_

_"My family-"_

_"You have no family. You never did." Tony spoke. "If only you had let Bruce continue his experiments. None of this would have happened. Everyone would still be alive."_

_"No!" Spider-man clawed helplessly at the pavement. Everything was too loud. There was too much red. Iron Man's eyes had turned crimson, staring down at his son with nothing but disgust._

_"If only you had been a bit stronger. A bit faster. Then maybe you could have saved someone. But you didn't. And now they're all dead. Because of you." Iron Man's metallic voice pierced Peter's very soul._

_More hands grabbed onto Peter, pulling him in different directions. He felt like he was being torn limb from limb. All the while, the cries for help grew louder and louder_.

* * *

"Hold him down!" Tony snarled, his hands firmly plastered over Peter's mouth, trying to silence his screams. Tears flooded down Peter's cheeks.

"I'm trying!" Steve sat on top of Peter, holding his arms down against the mattress so that he wouldn't hurt himself. The wall crawler thrashed around violently. "He's strong!"

"No shit, Sherlock!" Clint and Natasha were struggling to hold down Peter's legs.

"Tony, move your hands!" Sam ordered. Tony did so, instantly regretting it when Peter opened his mouth wide in a blood-curdling scream. "Enough!" Sam slapped Peter across the face. Hard. Peter's eyes snapped open, his screams abruptly cut off.

"Jesus Christ, kid..." Tony slumped against the wall.

"What was that about?" Clint frowned. The only light in the hotel room came from the lamp on the bedside table. Everyone, even Vision, was looking at Peter with concern.

"Bad dream," Peter's voice was small.

"One hell of a nightmare," Rhodey murmured. "Has this happened before?"

Peter was in too much shock to form words so Tony answered for him, "it has. But never this bad."

"Please let me go," Peter breathed out, his voice cracking on the last word. Steve slid off of him. Natasha made a move to pull Peter into his arms, but he shied away.

"Peter," Tony brushed his thumb over Peter's cheek, wiping away his tears. Peter flinched at the contact.

"Don't touch me. Please. Just. No one touch me." Peter curled into a tight ball, hiding his face in his knees. His muscles ached. He felt like he really had been torn apart. He shuddered at the feeling of so many bloodied hands grabbing at his body. The Avengers slowly moved away to give the boy space.

"Don't leave me."

"We're not going anywhere, buddy." Tony sat on the floor next to the bed. "How's this? Is this alright? Too close?"

"That's fine," Peter said.

"Are you going to be okay, little spider?" Natasha spoke softly. Peter shrugged. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not right now." Peter stared blankly at the sheets.

* * *

  
Peter was gone in the morning. Tony was panicking, having already searched the hotel and surrounding area.

"He probably just went for a walk. Get some fresh air, ya know?" Steve tried to calm him down, to no avail.

Tony's phone pinged with an alert from FRIDAY. Someone was on the Quinjet. "It's him," Tony said as he darted out the door, his team not far behind. Sure enough, they found Spider-man sitting in the pilot's chair, flicking switches and pushing buttons. The jet roared to life.

"What are you doing?" Steve frowned.

"Going to Queens." Spider-man looked over his shoulder at his team.

"We are not going to Queens."

"You don't have to. I'm going whether you people have my back or not." Spider-man snapped.

Steve stormed over and tried to wrestle Peter out of the pilot's chair. "I don't approve of this suicide mission."

Spider-man remained firmly planted in his seat. "I'm not asking for your approval. I'm not asking you to follow me into battle, either. Queens is my responsibility. I'm going to defend it. I suggest you get out of this jet and out of my way." He was done messing around, and it showed by the way his lenses narrowed. Spidey lowered the ramp, "last chance. I'm about to take off."

Nobody moved. Steve sighed, "alright. Everyone suit up. Looks like we're going to Queens."

Spider-man smirked behind his mask and closed the ramp.

"But I'm calling the shots-" Steve started.

"No. You're not." Spider-man cut him off. "Queens is my turf. I know it better than any of you. And I know how the enemy thinks. I'm leading this mission. If you guys are going to be a part of this, then you need to go where I tell you to go and unleash hell when I tell you to. No questions asked." Spider-man punched a bunch of buttons on the dashboard, getting the jet airborne in a matter of seconds. Steve's mouth hung open, not expecting the web slinger to speak to him like that.

"Kid's got balls," Clint snorted, patting Steve on the shoulder.

"Don't call me a kid," Peter snarled.

"You got it, boss." Clint could see his muscles tense under the red and blue fabric. Peter had been through hell and back multiple times in the past few months, and it showed. The way he spoke commanded respect and Clint was more than willing to give it to him.

"We're seriously going to let a teenage lead us into battle?" Sam gawked at Steve. "Why are we even going to Queens? Is something about to happen there?"

Steve shrugged, "Peter seems to think so. What's the plan, Spidey?"

Spider-man put the jet on autopilot and went over to his team. He pulled up a holographic map of Queens on the table in the middle of the jet. He explained what he needed each of the Avengers to do in great detail. "Understand?" He waved his hand, dismissing the map.

"No. You gave yourself the most dangerous task," Rhodey crossed his arms. "Wouldn't that job be better suited for someone with actual armor?"

"You guys will be too busy taking down the Hulk. This is something I have to do myself," Spider-man leaned forward, palms on the table.

"Don't throw your life away, soldier," Steve said, glancing over at the man he considered his son.

"I'm okay with dying." Spider-man kept his gaze locked on the empty table.

"Well, I'm not." Tony slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone but Spidey. "You're too young to throw your life away."

"Funny. After everything that's happened, I don't feel so young." Spider-man whispered.

Tony flinched at his words. "You're not the revenge type, Pete. If you go through with this and survive...you won't be the same person you were before."

"Tony. I'm already fucked up. I've been fucked up ever since the Vulture dropped a building on me." Peter balled his fists up on the table. "This isn't about revenge. It's about preventing others from ending up like me." Peter cleared his throat and straightened up, "if you're available to help me, then, by all means, do so. But don't you dare abandon your posts until your job is done. My life isn't worth more than that of anyone else in Queens. No one dies today."

"Except for you..." Natasha looked up at him, her eyes clouded over with sadness.

"Except for me." Spider-man nodded.

"You're not going to die," Tony said. "I won't let you."

"You can't control who lives and dies, Tony." Spider-man refused to meet his gaze. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Fucking watch me," Tony waved his arm, calling his suit to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter has fucking had it, I tell you what.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	16. Family Business

**Twelve Years Ago**

_"Hello?" Tony held his phone up to his ear, he didn't recognize the number calling him but he felt the need to answer it anyway._

_"Tony. It's Ben." A tired sounding man said on the other end._

_"Who?" There were probably at least a hundred Bens working for Tony, this Ben would have to be more specific._

_"Ben Parker. I'm Richard Parker's brother."_

_Tony frowned. He hadn't spoken to either man in years. Not since he and Richard had a falling out. "What do you want, Ben?"_

_"Richard is dead."_

_Tony felt a lump forming in the back of his throat. He glanced around the conference room. Everyone else present was wrapped up in their own conversations, oblivious to the fact that Tony was on the phone. Pepper was the only one who noticed and gave Tony a questioning look. Tony held up his finger before slipping out of the room._

_"I thought you should know," Ben continued, "considering you two used to be very close."_

_Tony snorted at Ben's choice of words. 'Very close' was definitely an understatement for his and Richard's relationship. "How did it happen?"_

_"Plane crash. Mary, his wife, didn't survive either." Ben sighed. "I know you and Richard ended things on less than pleasant terms, but he still spoke highly of you up until the end. It would mean a lot to everyone if you came to the funeral."_

_"I'll be there," Tony promised. "When and where?"_

* * *

_Tony attended the funeral although he stayed away from the crowd. There were a lot of people Tony didn't recognize. May was one of the few he did. It seemed as though she had married Ben after all. And they had a child together. No. Scratch that. The small child in May's lap wasn't hers. Or Ben's. Was he Richard and Mary's? Tony's suspicions were confirmed when he moved over a few seats to get a better look at the boy. He had Richard's big brown eyes and button nose. The kid didn't seem to understand what was going on and kept asking May why his parents wouldn't wake up. Tony's heart ached for the child._

_Tony hung around the grave long after the funeral had ended. He stood before the tombstone, reading the inscription over and over. He felt like he should say something. But he also felt stupid talking to a rock, so he kept his mouth shut._

_"His name is Peter."_

_Tony jumped at Ben's voice. "Excuse me?"_

_"Richard's boy. His name is Peter." Ben stepped close to him. "I noticed you kept looking at him during the service."_

_"He looks just like him," Tony sighed._

_Ben nodded in agreement. "Tony, you know I still consider you a friend, right?"_

_"You shouldn't."_

_"Well, I do. Here." He handed Tony a scrap of paper with an address written on it. "You're always welcome to stop by." Ben walked away without another word. May was waiting for him by the car, a very sleepy Peter in her arms. The boy waved at Tony. Tony just stared at him._

_Tony turned his attention back to the tombstone, stuffing the paper in his breast pocket as he did so. He had no intention of ever visiting the Parkers. He came to the funeral to say goodbye to someone he had dated a long time ago. That was it. No need to reconnect with the family of the dead._

_Tony went on with his life after that, forcing himself to forget about Richard. About their failed romance, and the child who no longer had a father, or a mother. Nearly a decade later, someone calling themselves Spider-man popped up on his radar. It wasn't that hard to find out more about the mysterious vigilante. All it took was a small drone with a camera and a very careless boy taking off his mask in an alley in broad daylight._

_"Richard?" Tony's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the footage from the drone. Tony shook himself. It wasn't Richard, he knew that. The hair color was all wrong, and his face was a bit off. Not to mention the fact that this boy was very obviously a high schooler. Tony tore through his filing cabinets until he found the scrap of paper Ben had given him all those years ago. Looks like he would be paying the Parkers a visit after all. But first, he would need to make an actual suit for Peter. The boy was reckless, that much was clear. And Tony was determined to keep Richard's son safe._  

* * *

 "Good lord..." Steve breathed out, looking at Queens through the windshield of the Quinjet. The Hulk had already done a number on midtown, and he was still going. Spider-man landed the Jet atop an office building.

"Remember the plan!" Spider-man yelled right before running off the jet. He jumped off the side of the building and web slinged around a corner. Iron Man and War Machine blasted after him, following him for a few blocks before flying off in a different direction. Their job one job today was to take down the Hulk.

"FRIDAY, ready the Hulk buster! I have Banner in my sights!" Tony ordered.

"Hulk Buster is armed and ready," FRIDAY reported.

_**BANG** _

"The fuck was that?" Rhodey frowned, looking in the direction the noise had come from.

"I don't know, but there's a lot of smoke coming from a few blocks north," Steve reported.

"Spider-man! Where are you going?! What happened to sticking to the plan?!" Iron Man yelled over the comms. He had a small map in the corner of his screen, showing everyone's approximate location. Spider-man had taken a sudden left turn, heading right for the origin of the loud bang.

"They're attacking Midtown High!" Spider-man yelled back. "All my friends are there!" He was a few blocks away and could already see the damage to the building. Thick black smoke pumped out of what was left of the windows. His mind flashed back to the pile of corpses from his dream. "No, no, no, no!" Spider-man had never web slung so fast in his life. The building rumbled, and the roof shifted, threatening to give way at any moment. The students had been in the middle of evacuating when the bomb went off. Their once orderly lines were long gone, with the screaming teens running in all different directions. Spider-man landed on top of the fence, calling to the nearest teacher, "is anyone still inside?!"

"I don't know!" The teacher yelled back frantically.

Spider-man was about to run into the building when a shadow fell over him. He looked up to see none other than the Vulture.

"Hello, again, Pedro." Toomes waved before diving right for him. Spidey leaped out of the way just in time. Razor sharp talons missing the back of his head by mere inches. "I suggest you stay out of this fight, kid."  
  
"I think it's physically impossible for me to stay out of a fight." Spider-man jumped back onto the fence and shot volleys of webs at the Vulture, who quickly dodged.

"Go home, Spider-man. Or else..." The Vulture grabbed the closest student in his talons and shot up into the sky. "You'll have this girl's death on your hands!" The girl kicked and screamed, blindly throwing punches at the metal claws.

"MJ!!!" Peter screamed. He shot a web but the Vulture was too far out of reach. "WHOA!!!"

Falcon had snatched Spider-man up by the arms and was now flying straight for the Vulture. "I got Big Bird, you get the girl!" Once they were within spitting distance, Falcon flung Peter at the Vulture. Spider-man threw his arms out and grabbed onto Toome's legs. Falcon flew in circles around the Vulture, the two birds of prey battling it out with their wings. Spider-man tore at the exoskeleton on Toome's legs, ignoring the sparks flying in his face. With a loud metal crunch, Spider-man tore the talons from his left boot.

"I warned you!" Toomes released his remaining talons and Michelle plummeted to the ground. She let out an ear splitting scream.

"HANG ON! I GOT YOU!" Spider-man dove after her, using a web to grab her and pull her into his arms. Michelle clung to him tightly, continuing to scream as the ground quickly rushed up to meet them. Spider-man shot out a large web between the fence and the school. At the last second, Peter wrapped himself around MJ and tossed his weight to the side, causing them to flip positions so that he was on the bottom. "OOF!" The wind was knocked out of him when they landed on the web. "You okay?" He relaxed his grip on Michelle.

"Y-yeah..." Michelle panted, not letting go of Spider-man. "Let's...not do that again...like...ever."

"Agreed." Spider-man let his head fall back against the web.

"Spidey! We have a situation." Clint said over the comms.

"I'm aware. There's kinda a lot going on right now." Peter looked at the two winged men still battling overhead.

Clint cursed under his breath, "we're trying to help you!" He yelled. "Stop! Jesus!"

"Barton, what's going on?" Steve called.

"These loons think we are the bad guys!" Clint and Nat's jobs were to help evacuate the citizens from Midtown, as well as protect them from any and all threats.

"They're under Wanda's spell, just ignore them," Spidey advised.

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one getting attacked by angry citizens!" Clint snapped.

"Are they all like that?" Spider-man sat up and looked around. The remaining students didn't look like they were under Wanda's spell. And Michelle wasn't attacking him.

"Doesn't look like it," Steve reported. "The citizens are helping me."

"Switch with me," Clint demanded, "if another old lady hits me with her purse I'm going to scream."

"Keep doing your job, Barton. Whether they like it or not, these people need to get out of midtown." Steve snapped.

"Have you found Ock?" Peter asked.

"Engaging as we speak," Steve grunted. "This guy isn't going to go down easily. I may need back up."

Tony spoke up, "I got the Hulk mostly contained-fuck. Nevermind. I can do this. Rhodes, go help the cap!"

"On it!" War Machine yelled. "Spidey, have you found Maximoff, yet?"

"Not yet. MJ, you need to get out of here." Spider-man helped her down from the web.

"What? No! I'm staying!" MJ raised a fist, ready to fight.

Spider-man shook his head, "it's too dangerous."

"I don't care. Ned got hurt in the explosion. I'm not leaving until I get even," Michelle stood her ground. "I'm going to fight by your side and you can't stop me!"

"MJ, please-" Spider-man was cut off when his body was suddenly engulfed in red light and launched into the school.

"PETER!" Michelle screamed. Scarlet Witch floated behind her, crimson energy radiating from her entire body. "You bitch!" Michelle spun around, throwing a punch at the rogue Avenger. Wanda flicked her hand, catching the punch and flinging MJ to the ground. She drifted over the fallen teen and into the school.

"Where are you, bug?" Wanda floated through the wrecked classroom. Spider-man jumped onto a desk, taking a defensive crouch. "You're the only one available to fight me. I'm guessing you wanted it to be that way. Do you plan on killing me?"

"No. I'm just here to stop you. Any means necessary." Spider-man lunged at her. Wanda waved her arms, shooting blasts of energy at him. He used his spider sense to dodge and met her attacks with his own. The building rumbled again. "We should probably take this outside." Peter kicked her in the gut, sending her flying back. She caught herself and flew back at him, hitting him with a huge blast of energy. Spider-man was thrown through the wall and slammed into the lockers on the other side of the hallway. "O-or not."

Part of the ceiling fell down and Peter scrambled to get out of the way.

"I really don't want to get trapped under another building, Wanda." Peter lunged at her again, fists raised.

"You don't get to chose how you die, Spider." Wanda countered his advances.

"No one's dying today," Spider-man snarled.

Wanda smiled cruelly, "do you really think that? How naive."

Spider-man kicked her in the side of the head, knocking her to the ground. He wasted no time webbing her in place, then quickly attached himself to the ceiling. "Your reign of terror is over, Wanda. I won't let you hurt anyone else-OH NO." His spider sense went off like a gunshot in the back of his head. The building suddenly shook. The ceiling crumbled, and the walls bent in on themselves. Peter threw himself at Wanda right as the entire structure came crashing down.

Several hundred feet above, the Falcon watched in horror as the school caved in. A huge cloud of dust billowed up and Sam was forced to fly higher. "Okay, the Vulture's been grounded. But um...the school collapsed." Sam reported.

"Is that a problem?" Steve asked.

"Spider-man was inside," Sam gulped.

"I'm on my way!" Tony yelled.

"What about the Hulk?!" Natasha gasped, able to hear his roars from several blocks away.

"He destroyed the Hulk Buster. There's nothing more I can do," Tony said quickly.

"Stark! Don't leave the Hulk! Sam can take care of Spider-man!" Steve snapped. He and War Machine still had their hands full with Doc Ock.

"Stark!!" Sam yelled when the armored Avenger flew into view. He was currently sifting through the rubble, looking for Spider-man. "Get back to the Hulk!"

"Fuck off!" Tony crashed into the ground, the bricks crumbling under his feet. The school lay in ruins around him. "FRIDAY, scan for signs of life."

After a very nerve racking minute, FRIDAY reported, "two life forms detected." The outlines of two people appeared on Tony's display. A male figure was bent over a female one, supporting a chunk of concrete with his back. Before Tony could make a move, the concrete shifted. Spider-man lifted it up over his head and tossed it to the side. He let his arms fall limply at his sides, his chest heaving for oxygen.

Wanda was still webbed to the ground. Her eyes glowed red, and energy swirled around her hands. Spider-man punched her right in the face, knocking her out with one blow. "That's enough...of that..." Peter dropped to his knees.

"It's not over yet," Sam said, "Helicarrier inbound..." he pointed up.

Tony cursed, glaring up at the Helicarrier surrounded by several Quinjets.

One of the Quinjets was heading straight for them. Tony raised his repulsor, ready to fight with everything he had. Which wasn't much, considering what the Hulk had done to his armor.

The Jet landed on the football field. The ramp lowered and out walked Nick Fury. "Someone want to explain to me what the fuck is happening to Queens?"

"Um...a party?" Tony glanced around.

"You throw shit parties, Stark," Fury crossed his arms.

"What else is new?" Tony frowned. "Here to arrest us again? Because we're kinda busy."

"Actually, I'm here to clean up your mess. As usual. You're lucky Doctor Strange paid me a visit. Or else I really would be here to arrest you," Fury walked over to Stark, his head held high. "I suggest you get back to the Hulk."

"Good suggestion. I'll take it into consideration." Tony glanced over his shoulder at his son, "you good, kiddo?"

Peter gave him a thumbs up.

Tony returned the thumbs up before blasting off.

"Damn Stark..." Fury shook his head. He put two fingers to his ear, "alright, people. Let's get this show on the road." The Quinjets dove out of the sky, going after Hulk and Doc Ock. Several agents hurried out of the jet on the football field, going straight to Maximoff and putting her in handcuffs that blocked her magic. Spider-man stepped out of the way, looking up when he heard Michelle calling his name.

"Spidey! Jesus Christ, I thought you had died! Again!" She threw her arms around her friend. "Fucking jerk."

Spider-man held her close, keeping silent as he watched the SHIELD agents haul Wanda onto the Quinjet and fly off.

"Um...where did Green Giant go?" Tony said over the comms a few minutes later.

"You lost the Hulk?" Steve growled.

Tony gulped, "maybe?"

"Goddamnit, Stark..."

"He turned back into Bruce and just disappeared into a crowd of people! I don't see Banner anywhere! FRIDAY's scanning everyone but...it's not looking good." 

"Doc Ock is down." Steve suggested. "Clint, are you still being attacked by civilians?"

"No. The spell broke. Don't know how-"

"I took care of it. Wanda won't be a problem anymore," Spider-man said, his voice dark. 

"Is she..." Natasha trailed off, afraid that her little spider had been forced to kill. 

Spider-man shook his head and spoke slowly, "No. She's alive. Just unconscious. And in SHIELD custody. I think we should regroup." He looked up at the sound of Iron Man's repulsors. The armored Avenger was slowly drifting down. He cut the thrusters and dropped the remaining few feet with a loud thud. 

"News outlets are reporting few casualties," Tony let his helmet fold back into his suit. He smiled proudly at Peter and clapped him on the back. "Nice work, kid."

"Thanks, dad." Peter beamed at him.

* * *

Bruce Banner sat alone at a bus stop, a folder resting on his lap. It was nearly midnight, and the buses wouldn't start running for another five hours at least. And yet, one such vehicle pulled up to the curb. The door swung open with a loud squeak.

"Doctor Banner," a voice spoke from the driver's seat. Bruce stepped onto the bus and handed the driver the folder. They flipped through the papers within. The words "Family Business" were stamped at the top of each page in small black letters. "This all of it?"

"It's all that Stark had on file," Bruce said, tucking his hands into his coat pockets. "I deleted all digital records of it. What you're holding is the last copy that document. Don't lose it."

"Don't worry. I won't. Does Stark know you took this?"

"I doubt it," Bruce assured him.

"What about the other document I asked for?"

Bruce handed over a second folder. Inside was a copy of Peter's birth certificate. "I couldn't get the original. For obvious reasons." 

"That's alright. This one will do nicely." The driver slipped the birth certificate into the first folder. He then held out his hand for Bruce to shake, "a pleasure doing business with you, Doctor. You can expect your payment in the morning."

Bruce shook his hand, "thank you. I hope to do more business with you in the future, Mr. Osborn."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this wraps up the first half of the story. Get ready for a new arc to start in the next chapter. The tone will be slightly different. This time with added superfamily fluff and more of a look into their daily lives. (The document Bruce gave Osborn is the same one Nat and Steve found back in chapter two, in case anyone was wondering.)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed and will continue to read my story!  
> thank you for reading thus far!


	17. Clear Skies

**Two Weeks Later**

Steve lounged on the couch in the common area, slowly reading through a sci-fi novel Peter had recommended. It was a lazy Sunday morning, and for once, the facility was quiet. Mostly because Clint had left to spend time with his family. Natasha and Rhodey were also gone, helping SHIELD search for Banner. Sam was out on his morning run and wouldn't be back for awhile. Steve really wasn't sure where Vision was. Probably off somewhere moping over Wanda. Steve's eyes wandered from his book and over to the window. Sunlight drifted in through the large panes of glass. Not a cloud in sight to obstruct the warm rays.

"Gotcha!"

Steve turned his head towards the sound of Peter's voice. He and Tony were sitting on the couch across from Steve, both still in their pajamas. Two small robots were duking it out on the coffee table. Tools and random mechanical parts were strewn about them. Peter's bot currently had Tony's pinned to the table. The trapped robot let out an upset whirring noise.

"It was hardly a fair fight. You gave yours eight legs!" Tony plucked Peter's robot off of his own and set it to the side.

"You never said I couldn't." Peter stuck out his tongue.

"Then mine is going to have eight legs, too." Tony picked up a screwdriver.

"Then I'm going to double the legs on mine," Peter announced.

Steve chuckled and closed his book. Tony kept coming up with new things for Peter to tinker with, wanting him to keep his mind off of past events. Every day they built something new or worked on one of their suits together. All of the Avengers were convinced Peter had developed PTSD, based on his change in behavior right before the battle in Queens, and the nightmares he had been having ever since then. Although, they all had different ideas about how he should handle it. Tony's method seemed to be doing the trick so far. It had gotten Peter to smile again, and the teen was finally starting to act like his old self.

"I changed my mind. I'm going to just make my robot into one giant leg," Tony pointed the screwdriver at Peter. "It's sole purpose in life will be to hop around and kick everyone in the shins." Peter burst out laughing at the image of a tiny robotic leg bouncing around the compound.

Peter's laughter put Steve's mind at ease, a small smile gracing his lips. Peter suddenly turned to face Steve. The scars surrounding his mouth were now in full view, causing Steve's smile to disappear. No matter how many times he saw those marks, Steve would never get used to them. Anger bubbled up deep inside him every time he looked at them. He wasn't mad at Peter of course. The rage was directed at the ones who had inflicted those wounds.

"Hey, Cap, are you gonna make a robot-" Peter cut himself off, shying back ever so slightly, "why are you looking at me like that?"

Steve jolted, not realizing that he had like the anger show. "Sorry, Pete, I was zoning out. I think I'll leave the robotics to you guys. Not really my thing."

Peter relaxed when Steve smiled at him, "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

"I don't know anything about this stuff," Steve shook his head.

"Who's the 'lame dad', now?" Tony snorted. Steve rolled his eyes and opened his book again. He had barely gotten through the next chapter before he heard snickering. He glanced up to find that Tony and Peter had combined their bots to make some horrific creature. The bot took one step forward and fell into pieces. Peter said something under his breath that made Tony double over in a fit of laughter.

Steve couldn't help but smile warmly at his boys. They were safe. And for now, they were happy. And that was more than enough for Steve. Tony straightened up and blew a kiss at Steve. Peter made a barfing noise.

* * *

  
**Two Years Later**

"Slow down, Capsicle!" Tony panted, his legs burned as he hurried to catch up with the other man. There wasn't a single cloud in the morning sky. Birds chirped happily as they were slowly awoken by the sunlight. It was still early spring, but Tony could tell today was going to a hot one. The warm breeze ruffled his dark hair, a welcome feeling after the long winter.

"Speed up," Steve called over his shoulder. Tony had been joining him on his morning jogs lately, even though he did more complaining and lying in the grass than actually jogging.

"Not everyone is a super soldier!" Tony doubled over to catch his breath.

"Tony. We've only been jogging for half an hour."

"You've been jogging. I've been busting my ass trying to keep up." Tony took the jacket that was tied around his waist and used it to wipe the sweat from his face.

Steve chuckled, "let's go get breakfast. Usual place?"

"Sure." Tony straightened up and held his hand out to his partner. Steve gladly took it and walked hand in hand with him to a donut shop. Steve slid into a booth while Tony went to get the donuts. Steve hummed to himself as he looked around the tiny shop. There was an elderly couple on the other side of the room, and a teenager working behind the counter. This particular donut place was always quiet, and Steve enjoyed coming here with Tony. Although to be quite honest, Steve enjoyed going anywhere with Tony. He often found himself following Tony around his lab. 

"Two dozen?" Steve raised an eyebrow when Tony set two boxes down on the table.

"You are literally a human black hole when it comes to food," Tony handed Steve a cup of orange juice and went back up to the counter to get a coffee for himself.

"You know me so well," Steve chuckled, flipping open the lid on the first box.

"Plus, Peter will be pissed if he finds out we went to the donut shop without him," Tony said when he returned. He plucked a glazed donut from Steve's box. "And if Peter gets a donut, then Clint will want one, and then Sam...slippery slope."

"I didn't know Pete was home," Steve raised an eyebrow.

"Well, he was last night. He and Clint were causing problems in my lab. Didn't you hear them? I had to get Vision's help to kick them out. Fucking punks." Steve laughed. He was about to say something when Tony's phone beeped. "Fucking group chat...sorry, better make sure this isn't an emergency."

"They would call if it was," Steve shrugged.

"Yeah...you would think..." Tony grumbled, swiping open his phone.

_The Cooler Iron Man: Stark, the lawn is on fire. Again. I swear to god if it's your kid's fault(gun emoji)_

Tony rubbed his temples. It was too early for this nonsense.

_Hawk Slut: Way to go, bug boy._

_Andriod with an Andriod: I don't think it was him. Mr. Parker has been sulking in his room all morning._

_Secret Agent McSecret: What do you mean sulking?_

_Hurricane Peter: I'm not sulking. I just don't want to be around people right now._

Tony frowned at Peter's response. He typed "sensory overload?" but ended up deleting the words.

_Redrobin: Too late, I'm already on my way up to beat your skinny white ass._

_Hurricane Peter: I'm going to launch you out the window._

_Secret Agent McSecret: Are you doing alright, Peter?_

_Hurricane Peter: Just one of those days._

_Why Am I A Part Of This Chat?: The kid had an episode._

_Hurricane Peter:_ _Happy!! You said you wouldn't tell anyone!!_

_Redrobin : Peter, unlock the door._

_Hurricane Peter: No. I don't want anyone in my room._

_Iron Dad: Steve and I are on our way._

_Hurricane Peter: Don't. I'm fine._

_Iron_ _Dad_ : _See you soon, Petey pie._

Tony looked up at Steve, who was looking at the chat on his own phone. They exchanged a worried look before grabbing the donut boxes and rushing out the door. Both Tony and Peter had been in and out of therapy the last two years. Peter had been doing a lot better because of it. Unfortunately, there were days when he didn't do so well. Usually, Peter's episodes consisted of him having extreme panic attacks and flashbacks. The worst one had happened six months ago. Clint had been the one to find him doubled over on the living room floor, screaming and clawing at his face. Trying to get rid of the thread that had been long since removed from his mouth. Thankfully, Tony wasn't too far from the facility and was able to quickly come to the boy's aid.

Everyone was hovered outside Peter's door when they arrived.

"Vision, now would be a good time to float on through that door," Tony said.

Vision shook his head. "I don't wish to upset Mr. Parker further."

The lock clicked, and the door slid open. They all expected to see Peter standing on the other side, but instead Happy stood before them. "The kid's fine now, it was just a mild anxiety attack."

"That's a relief...what's going on here?" Tony tilted his head. All of Peter's belongings were boxed up, his various spider-man suits folded in a neat stack on the bed, which was bare of sheets and pillows. Happy was holding a bag full of web cartridges. He took one out and flung it at Peter, who was hunched over on the floor, headphones over his ears.

Peter slipped the headphones off and looked up at his family in confusion, "I said I was fine."

"I can see that now. What's with all this?" Tony motioned to the room.

"I'm moving out," Peter said slowly. "Today." Between college, a job and his Spider-man responsibilities back in Queens, Peter had little time to spend at the compound. He was lucky if he had time to stop by on the weekends. Overall, having his home at the Avengers facility was more a hassle than a luxury.

"Moving out?" Tony nearly dropped the box of donuts.

Steve shook his head in disbelief. "Where will you go?" As far as the Avengers knew, Peter didn't have a stable home in Queens. He just had a ton of friends that let him sleep on their couches.

"I got an apartment with a...friend." Peter looked away. "I've been saving up money from my job at the Bugle. Oh, and I got a job offer at Oscorp." Tony was paying for Peter's college tuition and wanted to pay for everything else his son could ever need in life, but Peter wouldn't let him, opting to get a job to support himself. Peter had told Tony he would pay him back the tuition money, much to Tony's shock.

"Oscorp?! What happened to working for me? At Stark Tech?" Tony gasped, feeling like he had been slapped in the face. "You're going to inherit the company someday, remember?"

Peter didn't look the least bit troubled, "I know, dad. But right now I gotta do my own thing."

Tony sighed and leaned against the doorframe, looking at the blank walls that were once covered in Star Wars posters. There was still a hole in the far wall from the one time Peter had punched it after getting into a fight with Tony. Peter went through a lot of teenage angst his sixteenth year. "Who's this friend? And why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to make a big deal about it."

"I wouldn't do that."

"Yes, you would. You make a big deal out of everything. And I'm moving in with MJ," Peter announced. Michelle and Ned had both visited the compound, but Michelle had been swinging by a lot more often. Her and Natasha were just as dangerous of a pair as Peter and Clint.

A big smile spread across Steve's face, "MJ, huh? Is she your girlfriend now?"

"I guess..." Peter kept his head down, hiding a blush.

"A girlfriend? I find that hard to believe," Clint snorted.

"How sweet," Natasha smiled. "My little spider's growing up."

"Should I give him the talk before he leaves?" Steve whispered to Tony.

"I was thinking we should show him one of your PSA videos. Didn't you have one on sex ed?"

"I'm nineteen years old!!" Peter threw his hands in the air.

"I find that hard to believe as well," Clint chuckled.

Tony set the donut box down on the desk. "A girlfriend...wow. And I thought you were gay. You and Ned were really close for awhile-"

"DAD!" Peter cut him off.

"It's okay if you're gay, we still love you," Tony ruffled Peter's hair.

"I'm bi, not gay. We've been over this. Me and Ned were a thing for a hot second but I'm with MJ now." Peter explained, getting up to stretch. He hadn't gained much in height, but he did have a bit more muscle on his once lanky form. "Where's the tape at?"

Happy threw it at the back of his head. Peter caught it without batting an eye.

"Okay. But seriously. Who set the lawn on fire?" Rhodey frowned. Clint ran. "You son of a bitch!!" Rhodey darted after him.

* * *

That afternoon the team helped Peter pack all his belongings into his car. It took almost an hour to say goodbye, since everyone wanted a hug and to give Peter life advice.

"I'm going to be back you guys," Peter groaned at the way everyone was treating his move out as such a final thing. "I'm not quitting the team."

"You better not be," Tony frowned. "Where's my hug?"

Peter smiled and wrapped his arms around his father in a tight hug. Tony returned the hug, clapping Peter on the back.

After the final goodbyes, Peter got into his car and drove off.

"Are you crying?" Rhodey smirked, noticing how Tony was hiding his face behind a tissue.

"I'm not crying! You're crying!" Tony snapped.

* * *

That night, dinner was interrupted by a loud clap of thunder. Which was odd, considering they hadn't had a single drop of rain all day. Everyone exchanged looks before hurrying over to the closest window. And low and behold, there stood everyone's favorite god of thunder.

"Friends! I have returned!" Thor waved excitedly.

Stark leaned out the window, shouting, "get in here, Goldilocks!"

Thor waltzed into the kitchen, holding his arms wide, "it is good to be back in Midgard! It has been much too long! I am eager to once again partake in the drinking of coffee!"

"It has," Natasha gave him a warm smile and motioned for him to join them at the dinner table. The Asgardian took a seat in Peter's spot, right between Tony and Clint. "It's been, what, six years?"

"Time sure does fly on your world. Little time has passed on my own." Thor boomed, "what have a missed? No more robot armies, I pray."

"Tony and Steve got married." Sam snorted.

"We did not-" Tony started.

"Congratulations!" Thor clapped Tony on the back so hard he had to steady himself against the table.

"We're not married," Steve clarified.

"Yet," Clint added.

"Yet," Steve nodded with a soft smile. "Been dating two years. And Tony has a son."

"Excuse me, that's my news to share." Tony held up a finger.

"He's very protective," Natasha commented.

"There is a miniature Stark on this planet? Odin help us all," Thor teased. "Where is the child?"

"He's a grown man, and he doesn't live here anymore," Tony explained.

"Humans age faster than I thought," Thor mused. "Who is the child's mother? Pepper? Or Steve? I don't know much about human biology but-" He stopped talking when Clint choked on his drink.

Tony waved his hands, "no, no, let's start over. I adopted a teenager four years ago. He's not my real kid-"

"He's definitely your real kid," Sam cut in. "The bad sense of humor proves it."

Thor looked at him in confusion.

"You're not helping, Sam." Tony pointed his fork at him.

"Fun fact, the kid's part spider," Steve spoke up, a smug smile on his face.

"I...do not understand," Thor said slowly.

"Tony fucked a bug," Clint said. "And that's how we got Peter."

Natasha clasped her hands over her mouth, trying to contain her laughter.

"I see. Stranger things have happened on my world," Thor didn't question it one bit. "My brother has a thing for horses."

Tony let his head fall on the table, groaning in defeat.

* * *

"This place is a dump," MJ commented. She was in the kitchen, stacking dishes in the cabinets.

"But it's our dump," Peter smiled at her from the bedroom across the hall. He took out two picture frames and lined them up on his desk. The first one contained Tony's note from his 17th birthday. He didn't want to look at the picture on the other side, knowing Wanda and Bruce were in it.

The other photo was taken at his high school graduation. The Avengers were swarmed around him, making faces at the camera and throwing their arms around each other. They had gotten a stranger to take the picture so that they could drag Happy into it. Happy looked less than Happy to be there. They were all dressed 'undercover'. Although, Steve's idea of undercover was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. The others had similar ideas.

Peter smiled at the photo, absent mindedly scratching the scar on his left arm. He looked down at his forearms when he realized what he was doing. A thin scar ran from the palm of his hand all the way up to the inside of his elbow. One on each arm. He had talked to Tony about possibly removing the web spinners, but Tony was afraid they could badly damage his arms in the process. So Peter had learned to live with it. He rarely used the organic webs, opting for his classic web shooters. The organic webs were only used as an absolute last resort.

"Did you hear me, Peter?" Michelle was suddenly standing right behind him.

Peter jumped, "huh? N-no, sorry, MJ."

MJ chuckled and slipped her arms around his waist. "Your dad called."

"Which one?"

"The one with the stupid facial hair."

"What'd he want?"

"Making sure we hadn't burned the house down."

"We just got here..." Peter groaned.

"I know. I told him that you stabbed our neighbor, got me pregnant and burned down the entire city block before we finished unpacking the kitchen," MJ said with a completely blank look on her face.

"You're awful."

"He thought I was serious about the pregnancy thing, so don't be surprised if he calls back," MJ smirked. "Hey, do you think our kids would have eight legs?"

"That would be badass," Peter grinned.

"Oh, he also said that Thor's back."

Peter straightened up. He had never met Thor in person. The god had been MIA since the Ultron incident.

"Are you gonna go see him?"

"Not right now. I'm sure he'll still be there at the Avengers meeting this weekend." Peter turned around in her arms and kissed her cheek, "I just want to be with you right now."

* * *

A few days later Spider-man strode into the conference room, head held high and shoulders squared.

"Ah! You must be the man of spiders!" Thor jumped to his feet and punched Peter's shoulder affectionately. "Your fathers have told me a great deal about you. Although, I have to admit I imagined you to be much younger and to have eight legs."

"What did they say about me, exactly?" Spider-man opened one of his lenses wider than the other. Clint was giggling in the corner. "Nevermind, I don't want to know."

Meanwhile, in Tony's office:

"Tony, we're going to be late for the meeting," Steve reminded him. Tony was hunched over his desk, organizing old files on his computer. He made a huffing noise to signal he had heard Steve but made no move to get up. "C'mon, shellhead," Steve looped his arms around Tony's midsection and pulled him from his chair.

"Rogers!!" Tony gasped, grabbing onto the edge of his desk.

"Yes, dear?"

"Let me go. I'm almost done." Tony squirmed in Steve's grip. "Five more minutes."

"Fine," Steve let go of him and leaned against the desk. It wasn't long before Steve got bored and started messing with anything and everything in arms reach.

"You're such a child." Tony frowned, not taking his eyes off of the screen. Steve just chuckled and kept moving various objects around. For someone as technologically obsessed as Tony, he sure did have a lot of papers and pencils rolling around his desk. "Please don't mess with those. I need to make digital copies."

Steve picked up the notebook he found under all the papers and flipped through it. It was all designs for the first Spider-man suit Tony made. A photograph slipped out of the pages and into Steve's lap. At first glance, Steve thought it was just a picture of Tony and his son. But the man next to Tony looked too old to be Peter, and Tony looked a lot younger than Steve had ever seen him. The two men were in the middle of laughing, with the Peter look alike pointing to something unseen.

Tony finally looked over at Steve. His jaw clenched at the sight of the photo. "Richard."

"Peter's father," Steve guessed.

"Bingo." Tony went back to typing. "We dated. Briefly. A long time ago."

"You really get around, Tony," Steve teased, earning him a kick in the shin. "Does Peter know?"

"No. Should he?"

"He might want to, I don't know," Steve shrugged.

Tony made a face, "how would I even tell him? Hey, Pete, I boned your dad, hope you don't mind!"

Steve's face went bright red and he stumbled over his words, "m-maybe don't tell him like _that_..."

"It doesn't matter. There's no point in telling him," Tony huffed. "Okay, Cap. Last file." He typed "family business" into the search bar. Nothing came up.

"Sir, the team is waiting in the conference room," FRIDAY announced.

"Give me a minute. FRI, did this file get moved already?" Tony typed the name in again and it still came up blank.

"No, Sir. My records show it was deleted from all servers two years ago."

Tony froze. "What do you mean deleted? I wouldn't delete...who accessed this document last?"

"I'm unsure. I only know that they printed a copy and deleted the file."

"Tony..." Steve put a hand on his arm. He vaguely remembered the file from the time he and Nat hacked Tony's computer, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what had been inside. "What was on that file?"

Tony took a deep breath, "stuff that no one needs to know about."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this long mostly fluffy chapter. There will be plenty more shenanigans in the next chapter, now that we have Clint, Thor, and Peter in the same room.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> One last thing, are there any spider-man villains you would like to see in the next few chapters? I am open to suggestions.


	18. Bad Mistakes, I've Made a Few

"Spider-man-"

"yes, I'm paying attention," Spidey cut Steve off. He was sitting between Clint and Tony, doodling something in a notebook. Steve opened his mouth to say something else, but Peter beat him to it, "Are we done?" Clint leaned over to see what he was drawing, only for Spider-man to cover the page with his arms.

"I believe so..." Steve closed the laptop he had been taking notes on. Papers were strewn around the table, and everyone had a tablet or computer in front of them. Except for Peter, who just brought his notebook. Their monthly meetings didn't usually last long, as they were just meant to touch base with each of the members and go over any recent missions. Thor had announced he would be staying with the Avengers for quite awhile, so this meeting had been spent catching Thor up on everything that had happened the last six years. "Anything else to add?" Steve leaned back in his chair, looking around at his teammates. They exchanged looks and shook their heads. "Tony? Did you want to talk about-"

"No." Stark said firmly. He could handle the missing file issue on his own. The armored Avenger had been uncharacteristically quiet during the meeting. He also hadn't spared a single glance at his son, opting to look anywhere other than at the younger man sitting right next to him.

"Okay..." Steve sighed, "Spidey. I think we accidentally skipped you when we were doing our reports. Anything happening in Queens?"

"Just the usual. Oh, there's this guy who's been picking fights with me for the last two weeks. Calls himself Kraven the Hunter." Spider-man suddenly ripped the page out of his notebook, crumpling the paper in his fist. He started drawing again on the next page. "He's just some weirdo in a fur vest, though. Nothing I can't handle." He kept his head down, with his arms protectively around the page. He could feel Thor's gaze boring into him and did his best to ignore it. They had told Thor that Wanda and Bruce had betrayed them and that they had hurt Peter. Although, they didn't give any details about the event. They couldn't. Not with Peter in the room. There was an unspoken rule that they didn't talk about Bruce or Wanda around Peter. "The traps he sets for me are really annoying, but I don't think he wants me dead. I'll let you know if I figure out his motives."

Steve frowned. "Traps?"

"Yes, traps. He's hunting me like some kinda wild animal." Peter muttered. "But he's not exactly breaking the law, so I can't turn him into the police. I have it under control," Peter assured him, noticing the worried look.

"Alright, meeting over." Tony stood up abruptly and left the room. Steve hurried after him, grabbing him by the arm once they were out of the conference room. "What?!" Tony snapped.

"You're not the least bit worried?" Steve frowned.

"About what?"

"This Kraven guy could pose a real threat-"

"Spider-man said he had it under control," Tony pried Steve's hand off, "I have more important things to worry about."

Steve narrowed his eyes. "More important things than your son?"

"My son is perfectly capable of taking care of himself." Tony shot back. "Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do." With that, the engineer stormed off. Steve felt someone watching him and turned to see Peter standing directly behind him. The white lenses of his mask seemed to bore into Steve's very soul. They were set to their average size, making Peter's emotions unreadable. Before Steve could say anything Spider-man turned on heel and walked away.

* * *

Peter crouched on the arm of the couch. The Avengers had given up on trying to get him to sit like a normal person a long time ago. He still wore his costume, with the mask tucked into his belt. "We've seen that a million times," Peter groaned at the movie Clint was holding up.

"Yeah, but it came out in 2019. So Thor hasn't seen it!" Clint defended his favorite movie. The rest of the team was ambling around the common area, getting in their seats or retrieving snacks from the kitchen.

"Fine," Peter huffed, shifting around uncomfortably. Thor was staring at him again. The god had been doing so ever since Peter took off his mask after the meeting. "Stop looking at me like that." His head snapped in Thor's direction, his voice dripping with venom. "I don't need your pity." Thor quickly looked away.

"Chill, he's just curious." Clint frowned, earning Peter's death glare.

"How are things going with your new apartment?" Steve quickly changed the subject, giving his step son a warm smile. Peter's anger melted away and he returned the smile.

"So far so good. MJ is a really good cook."

"You should bring her with you next time you stop by," Natasha suggested. "I have some stuff I want to show her." It was no secret that Natasha had been training MJ in hand to hand combat. She had also taught her how to throw knives. A skill MJ had used more than once in the past week when she needed to get Peter's attention.

"I will...hang on." Peter noticed Tony walking into the kitchen and went after him. "Hey, dad-"

"Not now, Peter." Tony was completely focused on the tablet in his hands.

Peter ignored him, "MJ wanted to know if you and Steve wanted to come over for dinner sometime?"

"Not now, Peter," Tony repeated, not really listening.

Peter continued talking. "It'll be fun, though. The three of us could go on patrol together afterward-"

"Peter!" Tony's head snapped in his direction, his face twisted into something Peter couldn't quite read. "Stop. Fucking. Talking."

Peter took several steps back. It had been awhile since he had been on the receiving end of Tony's anger. "Sorry-"

"I told you to stop talking. Didn't I?" Tony bristled. "I'm busy."

Peter grit his teeth, "well damn, you don't have to be such a jerk about it."

"I have important work to do, Peter. Important. Understand?" He spoke as if he were trying to convince a dog to roll over, slow and slightly mocking,

"Don't talk to me like that," Peter growled.

"I'm the parent here and I will speak however I want. You on the other hand," Tony took a step towards him, "need to shut it. Before I shut it for you."

Peter stared at him wide eyed. He tugged his mask back over his face. He kept his hands on the ends of his mask, holding the fabric tightly over his mouth.

"Wait, Peter, I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry-" Tony said quickly, his expression softening. It was too late. The damage was done and Peter was racing out of the room.

"What the fuck, Stark?" Natasha was making popcorn on the other side of the kitchen and heard the entire exchange. Tony glared at her before tucking the tablet under his arm and leaving the room. 

* * *

Steve wandered around the compound, dressed in his Captain America uniform, shield slung over his back. Natasha had told him about how Tony had yelled at Peter the night before, and he was planning on having some words with his fellow Avenger. He didn't know what was up with Tony, but it needed to stop. Right now. He poked his head into Tony's lab, expecting to find his boyfriend. Instead, he found Peter. The younger Avenger was in jeans and a dirty tank top, with motor oil smudged on his cheek and forehead. He was hunched over a work bench, messing with...well, Steve really wasn't sure what he was doing. Just that he was building something that was mostly made of wires. The odd machine made a strange whirring noise that made Steve uneasy.

"Thought you'd gone home. Whatcha doing?" Steve walked calmly over to him.

Peter shook his head, "I'm here for the weekend. Couldn't sleep. Found something to tinker with."

Steve nodded, smiling softly at him, "you're definitely Stark's son. Always have to be working on something."

"Step son." Peter glared at the lump of wires in his hands.

Steve pulled another stool up to the work bench, taking a seat across from Peter. "Something troubling you, soldier?"

"There's always something troubling me," Peter reminded him, tapping his temple.

"You know what I mean," Steve frowned. "What's going on between you and your father?"

"Don't know. He was pissy for no reason yesterday. And now he's avoiding me." Peter motioned to Tony's empty work bench. The engineer always spent his mornings in the lab, especially if Peter was there with him. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, of course not. I think he's just stressed about his computer getting hacked. Someone stole some very important files." Steve explained.

Peter opened his mouth to ask about the files right when Tony walked in. "Everyone out."

Peter remained where he was. "I'm working-"

"Not anymore. I need the space. Get out."

"Dad-"

"Out. I don't want you here." Tony stated, holding the door open for them. The tension in the air was getting a little too thick for comfort.

Steve stood up, "c'mon, Pete. I was on my way to meet Thor in the training hall. Why don't you join us?" Peter hesitated before moving towards the door. He stopped when he noticed Steve wasn't following him. "Go ahead. I need a word with your father." Peter nodded and left.

As soon as the youngest Avenger was gone, Steve whirled on Tony, "what the hell crawled up your ass and died?"

"Wow. Langauge, cap." Tony put his hands on his hips.

"Don't do this, Tony."

"Do what?"

"Take your anger out on Peter. I don't want you turning into Howard."

Tony's eye twitched, "I would never hurt him. You know that."

"Except you did. Remember?" Steve was treading dangerous ground, and he knew it. But he had to put Tony in his place before things escalated between him and Peter. "He still has the scar on his chest-"

"DON'T." Tony roared. "Don't you dare talk about that. I wasn't in control-"

Steve jabbed him in the chest. "You are now. And you're hurting Peter emotionally. Clean up your act, Stark. Or else."

* * *

"Stupid fucking Tony, with his stupid fucking beard, and his stupid fucking..." Spider-man grumbled as he web slung across the training hall. He landed on the wall and took a deep breath.

"Man of Spiders, you must focus," Thor reminded him.

"I am focussed." Peter snapped. He had been sparring with Thor all morning. Steve was watching them from a safe distance, every once in awhile giving some advice. Although, Peter didn't really need it. Years of being trained by the Avengers had really paid off. The Avengers had recently started keeping a tally of who had won the most sparring matches. And so far, Spider-man was in second place, right behind Iron Man. No matter how hard he fought, he couldn't seem to defeat that man.

"No, you're not. This match should have been over an hour ago. Let's break for lunch." Steve announced. "When we get back, I'll be your opponent."

Spider-man shook his head. "I'm done for today." He tugged his mask off and exited the training hall. He wandered around the facility for awhile, not really sure what else to do. He wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone.

* * *

Tony stood in the doorway of Peter's old room, hands shoved in his pockets. Peter sat on the bed, his back to Tony. The room had been turned into a guest bedroom, with plain white sheets on the bed, and matching curtains for the window. The hole in the wall had also been repaired. It was as if Peter had never lived there in the first place. "I'm sorr-"

"Don't," Peter huffed. "I'm not mad."

Neither man moved for a solid minute. Tony cleared his throat.

"What?" Peter glanced back. Tony sat down next to him, looping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close. "I'd never hurt you, Petey. You know that right?" He leaned his head against Peter's.

"I know," the wall crawler whispered, looking down at his hands. He pulled away from Tony and stood up, "I'm going back to Queens."

"I thought you were going to stay for the weekend?" Tony looked up at him sadly.

"Changed my mind. I'd rather be with someone who actually wants me around," Peter picked his bag off the desk and walked out. Tony let him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it took a hot second to get this chapter up.  
> This one was short but the next one will make up for that.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	19. Grounded

**Two Months Later**

"Mr. Parker? Mr. Osborn would like to see you," a woman in a white lab coat stood next to Peter's desk, clipboard in hand. Peter nodded and followed the woman to an entirely separate floor. She let him into Norman's office and closed the door behind him. Osborn didn't appear to be aware of the younger man's presence, completely focussed on a small stack of papers in his hands. Peter was about to speak, but Osborn beat him to it.

"Nice of you to stop by, Mr. Parker." Osborn looked up, a small smile on his lips. "Please, sit." He motioned to the set of chairs in front of his desk. Peter did so without hesitation. "I trust you are settling into your new job. I've heard nothing but good things from your supervisors."

"I am. Thank you, Mr. Osborn." Peter nodded slowly. The man before him had personally called Peter about the job opportunity and had even interviewed Peter himself. He had only been working for Osborn for two months, but the man seemed to have a special interest in him already. Often coming down to the lab to see what Peter was working on. Norman was obviously trying to be nothing but friendly, yet Peter found him to be slightly creepy. He wasn't sure if it was the disturbing way his face crinkled when he smiled or the fact that his spider sense pricked ever so slightly when Osborn entered the room.

"Please, call me Norman." Osborn smiled again.

Peter swallowed. "Okay...Norman. Um, is there something you need from me?"

"There is actually, Mr. Parker-Stark."

"It's just Parker."

"Is it? That's not what it says on your driver's license," Norman didn't stop smiling. "You're related to Tony Stark, correct?"

"In a way."

Osborn's smile vanished, "you either are or you aren't."

"I'm related to him through adoption," Peter clarified.

"So the rumors are true. Stark does have a son," Osborn leaned forward, folding his hands neatly on his desk. "Are you around him often?"

"Used to be. I don't live with him anymore," Peter shrugged.

"Are you still close?" Osborn pressed.

"Why do you want to know that?" Peter frowned, not liking where this conversation was going.

"Answer the question, Mr. Parker."

"Yes, we are still...close," Peter said through gritted teeth. He hadn't spoken to Tony since his father lashed out at him. He realized that he hadn't spoken to any of the Avengers since then. He made a mental note to visit the compound after work. "...why?"

"I was wondering if you could help me arrange a meeting with him. I have been trying for awhile."

"Tony isn't really involved in Stark Industries anymore. I can help you get a meeting with Pepper, she's the real CEO," Peter offered.

"No, no, this has nothing to do with our companies. And I need to speak to Stark himself," Osborn explained.

"Okay...um, I'll see what I can do. Is there anything else you needed from me, Mr. Osb-um, Norman," Peter said.

"No. That will be all for now. You can return to your work, Mr. Parker," Norman turned his attention back to the stack of papers on his desk. As soon as Peter was gone, Norman took out the file Bruce had given him. He flipped to a page that showed a picture of Tony Stark and Richard Parker working on something in a lab. A chemical equation was written under the picture.

* * *

  
Spider-man huddled against the wall of an apartment building, his lenses zoomed in on a window at the other end of the block. The communicator in his ear crackled. He had gone out web slinging as soon as he was off the clock, completely forgetting about his plans to visit the Avengers.

"You've been awfully quiet tonight, Spidey," Ned observed, his voice loud and clear through the communicator in Spidey's ear.

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind at the moment." Spider-man crawled along the side of the building.

"Want to talk about it?" Ned offered, his chair squeaked and Peter pictured him twirling around in the swivel chair, surrounded by three big monitors that aided him in being the 'guy in the chair'. Even after the two had broken up, they still remained extremely close. They told each other everything.

"Not really. Hang on," Spider-man crawled over to a fire escape and pulled out his phone. It had been buzzing in his pocket all night, but he had been too busy fighting crime to check it. "Shit." The group chat had literally exploded, everyone wanting to know where Peter was. Peter had over a hundred missed calls and at least thirty voicemails. Peter resisted the urge to slap himself. There had been a team meeting today. The second one he had missed in a row. No one had cared when he missed the first time. What was so special about this one? Peter's phone buzzed with an incoming call, the name 'Iron Dad' flashing across the screen. Peter denied the call.

"You're awful," Ned commented.

"Don't look at my phone!" Peter covered the screen with his hand.

Ned chuckled, "okay, okay. I'm looking away. Happy?"

The phone buzzed again, this time with a call from 'American Dad'. Peter answered this time, "hello?"

"Peter!" Several voices yelled in unison. He was on speaker. Great.

"Why the fuck didn't you answer any of our calls?" Tony fumed.

"I'm busy, dad." Peter groaned. "I kinda got a city to protect here." Hearing his voice reminded him of the conversation he had had with Osborn just hours before. Now probably wasn't the best time to bring it up.

"Peter, you need to come back to the compound. Right. Now." Steve practically snarled.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Jeez, what for? You guys gonna ground me?"

"We can't tell you why over the phone. Just get back here," Natasha instructed.

"Before you get hurt, bug boy," Clint added.

"I'm not made of glass. I'll stop by in the morning-"

"Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark, you come home right this instant." Tony barked.

Movement caught Spider-man's eye. He whipped around just in time to see something zip across the sky. Interesting. "Duty calls." Peter hung up, ignoring the protests from his family. He quickly web slung after the...man? Yes, it was definitely a masculine figure. On some sort of glider.

Peter followed at a safe distance. No need to confront the strange man unless he was doing something illegal. And he didn't appear to be doing that. It seemed as though he was just testing out his glider, taking sharp and unpredictable turns. The man flew into a parking garage. Spider-man web slung in after him. But there was no sign of the flying man with pointy ears. Spider-man walked around the garage, scanning for signs of life.

"I think he's gone," Ned spoke up.

"I think you're right. Well, Ned. It's been fun, but I think I'm going to call it a night," Spider-man announced.

"Alright. As always, it's been an honor working with you, Spidey," Ned's mic clicked off. Peter hummed, used to hearing Ned say that to him at the end of every patrol he was involved in.

No sooner had Ned signed off did a new sound hit Spider-man's ears. The roar of Iron Man's repulsors in flight. He spun around just in time to see the armored Avenger hurdling towards him. "Uh oh." Peter tried to jump out of the way but was grabbed around the middle as his father flew past. Peter struggled against the armor until they were several hundred feet in the air. The armor kept a firm grip around his waist. "What the heck, Tony? I was on my way!"

"I find that hard to believe," Tony retorted. Other than a few angry comments from Peter, the flight back to the Avengers compound was silent. Spider-man didn't find it at all surprising to see his father standing among the Avengers on the front steps. The armor dropped him at their feet and flew off to the armory. The holograms that Tony had been using to remotely pilot the suit disappeared. "Welcome home, squirt."

Spider-man's lenses narrowed. "Not cool, dude. Not cool." The Avengers turned and went back inside. Spider-man followed them without hesitating. He took off his mask once they were inside.

"How much do you know about your father?" Natasha asked him.

"He's secretly Iron Man," Peter smirked. "Don't tell anyone."

"I meant your real father," Natasha clarified.

"I know what you meant," Peter said. "And I don't know anything about him. May said he was a good person." The team filed into the living room, sitting on the couches while Tony paced nervously.

"He worked for SHIELD. Him and your mother. Did you know that?" Tony said, walking around the couches.

Peter twisted his body as he followed the older man's movements. "No..."

Tony took a deep breath, "your father was a very skilled scientist. He and I worked on something called the 'Venom Project'." He stopped walking, casting a quick glance over his shoulder at Peter. The teen stared back at him, his face not revealing anything. Tony looked away and continued, "the 'Venom' as your father called it, was meant to be a weapon for SHIELD. The project turned out to be too risky. SHIELD shut it down, and that was supposed to be the end of it."

"But it wasn't," Peter said softly. Tony had known his father? Why hadn't he ever mentioned that before?

"No, it wasn't." Tony nodded, "I had all records and data concerning the project stored on my private servers. Someone stole them. Along with some other very important documents. I haven't been able to figure out who did it."

"But now someone has the recipe for a very very dangerous biological weapon," Steve finished for him. He had talked Tony into telling the team about the situation, knowing his partner was way over his head with this one.

"Okay. So we just need to figure out who stole it and get it back?" Peter frowned, "shouldn't be too difficult. Why did you want me back at the Compound so badly? No one's actually put together this 'venom' thing, right?"

"Because Tony was worried," Clint snickered. Tony sent him a sharp look.

"We all were," Sam pointed out. "You've been off the radar for two months, kid. It's a little concerning that you would go MIA right when someone got their hands on a fancy new weapon."

"What even is 'Venom'?" Peter asked, "you said it was a biological weapon, but that doesn't really explain anything. Is it like mustard gas?"

"No. Worse." Tony's expression darkened. "Listen, Peter. Steve and I discussed this, and we both think it's best that you stay at the compound until this is over."

Peter's mouth fell open, "so you are grounding me. I can't believe this!"

"It's for your own good, Peter." Steve tried to reason with him.

"What is Venom?!" Peter asked again, a bit more forcefully this time. "What the hell did you create?" He glared at his father.

"Hopefully, you won't have to find out," Tony sighed. "Clint, Thor, stay with Peter. Everyone else, suit up. We have work to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! I'm in the middle of moving half way across the country, so things are a bit hectic, but I still wanted to get something out. The next chapter will be extra long to make up for it.
> 
> Thank you for reading! :D


	20. The Hunt Is On

"I am sorry, young Stark."

Peter looked up from his phone at the Asgardian. Thor stood next to the couch, looking at Peter with the most sincere expression. "What did you do? Break the toaster?" Peter chuckled.

"Not this time," Thor smiled ever so slightly. "I mean about Bruce and Wanda."

Peter shifted around, awkwardly folding his legs under himself.

Thor continued, "your father told me what happened. I wish I could've been here to help."

"What's done is done," Peter shrugged. He looked back down at his phone but made no move to actually press anything on the screen. The couch dipped in one direction when Thor sat down next to him.

"You are a strong warrior, Man of Spiders," Thor clapped him on the shoulder. "I have watched many good men destroy themselves in the aftermath of great suffering. Yet you still smile."

"I try," Peter murmured. "I'm your friendly neighborhood Spider-man. It's kinda important that I stay happy-go-lucky."

"Your smiles are fake?" Thor's own smile faltered.

"Most of them, yes. Don't tell my dads. They'll be upset. They've been trying really hard to help me deal with the PTSD, but...yeah..." Peter turned his phone over and over in his hands, fingertips brushing over the slick surface. He had been texting MJ for the past hour. Their conversation had gone from him explaining why he wouldn't be home for awhile, to them debating the proper way to toast a marshmallow. Peter loved his family dearly, but he couldn't help but feel slightly tense around them as of late. MJ, however, had never done a damn thing wrong, and Peter felt nothing but ease when he was around her. Just texting her helped him feel better about the current situation. She was his anchor, and he had decided a long time ago that he would do literally anything for her.

"You do not have to suffer alone," Thor said softly. "I know of this PTSD. Although, on my world, we call it something different. You can talk to me. If you need to. Or want to. Up to you."

"Thanks," Peter gave him a genuine smile, and Thor returned it.

"Who is that fair maiden?" Thor pointed at Peter's phone. Peter must have accidentally clicked on Michelle's contact when he was turning the phone over in his hands because now her picture was taking up most of the screen. The image showed her laughing, hair blowing in the wind.

"MJ. My girlfriend," Peter said. "If this Venom thing doesn't blow over soon, she'll probably come up here and try to help."

"Does she have powers as well?" Thor looked even more intrigued now.

"No. But that doesn't stop her from picking fights with anything and everything that breaths. She's fought all of the Avengers. Even Vision. They go easy on her, but she fights with all she has," Peter chuckled, "you shoulda seen the look on Tony's face when she punched him in the jaw. Priceless!"

Thor laughed, his voice booming in the otherwise quiet room. "I would much like to meet this young warrior. I pray that our first meeting will not be due to this Venom."

"You and me both, buddy," Peter switched off his phone. "Want to go mess with Clint?"

A sly smile crept onto Thor's face as he nodded. 

* * *

"I can't believe we're doing this..."

"Shut up, Cap." Tony hissed. Iron Man, War Machine, and Captain America made their way across one of the many labs at Oscorp. Tony stopped every now and then to scan anything that remotely looked like a liquid, or to flip through a stack of papers.

"Tones, this is a bad idea and you know it," Rhodey spoke up. "We don't have clearance to be snooping around in here."

"That's why I'm the only one doing the snooping. You guys just keep on watching my back." Tony's armor whirred as he waved his hand.

"You still haven't explained what exactly this 'Venom' is," Steve reminded him.

"It's hard to explain. It's like a suit of armor, but it has a mind of its own. It was designed to need a human host to survive, but Richard found out the hard way that that was not the case. If it doesn't have a host, it's supposed to stay in a liquid state. A black liquid to be specific," Tony picked up a vial of black liquid but decided it wasn't what he was looking for and set it back down. "It turns out it can take the form of a man, even if it's not attached to a human."

"Why take human form when it could literally be anything?" Rhodey eyed the vial Tony had just been holding.

"It takes the form of a man because Parker used his own blood to create it," Tony explained. "Parker wanted to test the weapon on himself first, not wanting anyone else to get hurt if something went wrong. The first few tests went well, but when we separated the...symbiote...from Richard, it became hostile and killed one of our assistants. It would have killed more if we hadn't subdued it."

"Subdue? So that thing is still out there somewhere?" Steve stopped in his tracks.

"Yes. It can't be destroyed, so Richard entrusted it to a close friend to hide. The files taken from my servers thankfully only had the recipe for making such a monster. Not the location of where Mary Parker hid the original Venom. I doubt Osborn will try to find the original if he can now make his own, but who knows what his plans are." Tony huffed, his boots clanking on the tiles as he walked. He stopped next to Peter's desk, running a metal hand over the back of the chair. "The Venom became violent because it didn't want to be separated from Richard. But the Venom did something to Richard's mind. Made him..." Tony made a disgusted noise and shook his head. "Peter shares his blood. If the original Venom comes back and finds that Richard isn't around anymore...it could latch onto Peter. I won't allow that to happen."

"So instead of explaining the situation, and making sure he would know exactly how to fight back, you put him under house arrest. Makes sense." Steve leaned against Peter's desk, giving his boyfriend a disapproving look.

"If you're so worried, then you can go play bodyguard." Tony made a shooing motion with his hand.

"I'm not worried. I'm just questioning your parenting methods."

"As am I," Rhodey spoke up.

"Stay out of this," Tony snapped.

"Not gonna happen. He's my nephew. I have a say in this." War Machine crossed his arms, a movement that was made a bit awkward by his bulky armor.

"Since when is he your nephew?"

Steve chuckled, "we're all one big happy family and you know it, Tony."

"We are?" Tony raised an eyebrow behind his faceplate. "This is one fucked up family."

"What else is new?" Rhodey said.

Tony sighed. "C'mon. Osborn's office isn't too far from here. We'll check there and then we'll leave." When the three reached Osborn's private office they were surprised to find the owner sitting behind the desk. Or rather, a holographic image of the owner. The blue hologram illuminated the otherwise dark room.

"Mr. Stark, nice of you to drop by. If you wanted a tour of the building, you could have just asked," Osborn smiled. "No need to go snooping through my labs."

"Where's the file, Osborn?" Tony said.

"Right here," Osborn pointed to a bulky folder that lay on his desk. "I learned what I could from it. And now you may have it back."

Steve swiped the folder and tucked it under his arm.

"Unfortunately my scientists were unable to recreate the masterpiece you and Mr. Parker once made. I had Parker's kid give it his best go. In all fairness, the kid didn't know what he was making, so that may have been why he was unsuccessful. That and he backed out of the project the moment his blood was needed," Osborn spoke slowly. "Such a pity. We were so close."

"So you're going to give up? Just like that?" Tony practically spat, not at all liking the way his son had been used.

"Fine by me," Rhodey muttered.

"Of course not, you twats." Osborn's expression darkened for a minute, then it softened and his smile returned. "But why make one from scratch when there's a perfectly good one lying around somewhere?"

Steve glanced over at Tony, whispering, "how does he know that? I thought you disabled the security cameras and-"

"I thought so too," Tony growled. "The Venom is long gone, Osborn. You'll never find it."

"We'll see about that," Osborn's smile was becoming more disturbing by the second. "You're all lucky I didn't call the cops the moment you set foot in this building. I suggest you leave before I change my mind."

* * *

  
**Two Years Ago**

_"Whatcha working on, kiddo?" Tony leaned against his work bench, coffee in hand. He took a sip, watching Peter, who stood in the middle of the lab. Several holograms surrounded him, and he moved them around expertly, even though Tony had never seen him using the holograms until now. Peter didn't seem to hear Tony's question and kept moving the blue images around. He made a noise of disgust and swiped his entire arm, deleting half of the holograms. "Kid?" Tony asked again, moving closer to his son. Peter swiped his arm up, pulling up a whole new set of images. He yelped and jumped onto the ceiling when Tony put a hand on his shoulder._

_"Don't sneak up on me!" Peter huffed._

_Tony took a long sip of his coffee, not in the least bit phased by the teenager clinging to the ceiling. "Are you going on patrol tonight?"_

_"Maybe. Why?"_

_"Cap and I want to go with you. Natasha and Clint might come along, too." Tony set his now empty coffee cup aside and told FRIDAY to get his armor ready._

_Peter's face lit up, "Really?!" He had been wanted Tony to go on patrol for him for a long time, but his father always acted like patrolling was beneath him._

_"Yes, really." Tony smiled softly and tossed him a communicator. "Get your suit. It'll be dark out soon."_

_About an hour later, Spider-man found himself squatting on a gargoyle, looking at the busy streets far below. Every once and a while a car would honk, or someone would yell. Captain America was on the same roof as him, but he was keeping a safe distance from the edge. Spidey wasn't sure where Clint and Natasha had gone, but he knew they were close by. Iron Man hovered over them, awaiting orders from Spider-man. Spider-man stood up and held out his arms, enjoying the cool night air. It was his first time patrolling since his battle with Wanda, and he intended to make the most of it. "Okay. Try to keep up!" Spider-man said right before he dived head first off the skyscraper._

_"Be careful! You're going to give your old man a heart attack!" Tony gasped._

_"So you admit that you're old?" Peter snickered over the comms._

_"Show your elders some respect!" Clint chided._

_"Not helping," Tony grumbled. He kept above the skyline, loosely following Peter. Steve jumped from roof to roof, keeping up without a problem. It was a fairly easy night, a few muggings and an attempted robbery. Things didn't get too serious until two in the morning when Spidey had to break up a knife fight between two drunks. After that, the crime seemed to skyrocket. And that's when Spidey found himself back to back with Captain America in a dark alley, thugs surrounding them on all sides. Someone smashed a bottle and lunged for Steve, who batted them away with his shield._

_"Really? A gang war at three AM? Do people in this city not sleep or something?" Steve huffed, decking someone right in the face._

_"I'm convinced this city is just full of vampires," Spider-man jumped into the air, did a flip and someone in the back of the head. "Especially the hot dog guy over on 16th. He's obviously hiding something. What's that?" Spider-man jumped up onto the wall, out of reach of the thugs. Something was hovering high above them. It looked like a man, but it definitely wasn't Iron Man. Iron Man didn't use a glider or wear a pointy hat._

_"Spider-man! Now is not the time to star gaze!" Steve reminded him._

_"Right!" Spider-man flung himself back into the fray. By the time the skirmish was settled, the man on the glider was gone. "Did you see that?" He asked, looking up at the sky._

_"See what?"_

_"Nevermind."_

* * *

  
**NOW**

"Hey, Dad. Mom. Uncle Ben. Aunt May. How's it going?" Spider-man stood in front of a row of headstones. "Sorry, I haven't been by in awhile. Been a bit busy, with...well, everything." He sat cross legged, absentmindedly picking at the grass. He hadn't visited these particular graves since Aunt May's funeral. He remembered every detail about the event. How the skies had rained down as if the very earth was weeping for her loss. There was only a handful of people who showed up, but those who did truly cared about May and Peter, and had offered the boy a place to live. He remembered how heavy the casket had felt when Peter helped carry it. How Mr. Stark hadn't left his side the entire time, holding an umbrella up for both of them, because Peter forgot his. Both Happy and Tony allowed Peter to hug them and cry into their shoulders. He had gone back to the Avengers facility that night, not knowing that he would never set foot in Aunt May's apartment ever again. Not because he couldn't. Hell, Tony had driven him past the building more times than he could count, offering to help his box everything up and move it into storage, or into the compound. But Peter couldn't bring himself to do it. Happy had gathered Peter's belonging and a few of May's, and that had been the end of it. "Are you guys watching over me? Is that a real thing dead people do? Steve thinks so. Tony says it's bullshit. I don't know what to think anymore." He looked around the graveyard and had his suit scan for any signs of human life. None. He was all alone. He slipped his mask off and tucked it into his belt. "Tony is the one who adopted me by the way. I don't know if you guys already knew that or not. Having Iron Man as your dad is pretty cool...but I miss you guys. A lot."

A rustling noise made Peter jump to his feet. He relaxed and sat back down when he realized it was just a squirrel.

"Steve's my other dad, I guess. He and Tony are together." Peter continued. "And I'm an Avenger. I made it Aunt May, I'm an Avenger!" Peter forced a smile. "It's a shitty job, honestly. It keeps me away from Queens, and no matter what you do, there are always going to be people who slip right through your fingers. Innocent people. I guess that's why we call ourselves the Avengers. Cause we can't save everyone...so...yeah..." Peter hung his head, brushing his finger tips over the grass. "I have a girlfriend. You always teased me about not having one, Ben. So suck it!" Peter smiled for real this time. "Tony said you guys used to work together," he spoke to his father's headstone now. "Said you guys made some kind of weapon. There are people after it now." Peter made a disgusted noise and shook himself, "I don't know why I'm telling you this. Why I'm talking to a bunch of rocks. Can you guys, like, do something? Prove to me that you're listening? God, I sound crazy."

Peter sat in silence for a long time. Nothing happened.

"Figures..." Peter put his head in his hands. "I miss you guys. So, so, much. You should be here right now. Not me. All of your deaths are my fault. All of them. I'm so sorry." Tears pricked his eyes, but Peter refused to let them fall. Something silver caught his eye. A long thread that wove its way through the grass. Spider-man carefully picked it up and found it was connected to other threads, almost like a spider web. "A net?"

"Bingo!" A voice called right as the net was zapped full of electricity. Spider-man howled in pain and fell onto his side. He twitched on the ground as the wires continued to electrocute him. He felt like his brain would be turned to mush if it went on much longer. Something was burning. The smell made him nauseous. Was it him? Or the grass? He couldn't tell. Peter tried to roll away, but his limbs refused to cooperate, completely paralyzed by the high voltage. Black spots danced around the edge of his vision. The electricity stopped, but Peter's body still twitched, spit running down his chin, eyes rolling back into his skull.

Kraven stepped over to him, "huh. Still alive. I'm impressed. That fancy suit of yours probably saved your ass."

Peter forced his eyes to look at the hunter. He willed himself to say something, but his tongue betrayed him. More spit seeped from the corners of his mouth.

"Should have kept that mask on. Your brain took quite a beating just now. Speaking of which..." Kraven took the mask from where it hung on Peter's belt and stomped it into the ground, making sure to dirty it up and break one of the lenses. Once that was done, he made a small cut on the inside of Peter's elbow and allowed the blood to drip inside the mask. He balled up the mask one last time, before dropping it back on the ground.

"W-wha' are...y...you d-doin'?" Peter was barely conscious. The burning smell was still stuck in his nose. He really hoped it was the grass.

"Making sure no one comes looking for you. Hold still, I need more blood."

* * *

  
The Avengers headed into the living room, where they had last left their remaining team members. Thor and Clint lounged on the couch watching TV. Peter was nowhere in sight.

"The kid go to his room or something?" Tony asked, stepping out of his armor and letting it walk itself back to the lab.

"Um..." Thor and Clint exchanged looks.

"What?" Steve frowned, not liking the sound of that. "Where did he go?"

"Yeah...about that..." Clint shifted around nervously.

"Young Stark has returned to a place they call...what was it? Queens? Yes, Queens." Thor finished for him. "So strange, to have a city full of nothing but royalty."

Tony slapped a hand over his face, groaning loudly, "you were supposed to keep an eye on him! What part of 'don't let Peter leave the compound' don't you understand?!"

"He's strong and he's fast. If he wants to leave he will. I'm just a guy with a bow. I can't stop him," Clint held up his hands defensively.

"You had one job, Clint. ONE JOB. What about you, Goldilocks?!" Tony jabbed Thor in the chest. "You are literally a god. And you couldn't stop a child from waltzing out the front door?"

"He is not a child. He is a mighty warrior, and as such he should have the right to come and go as he pleases," Thor defended Peter.

"Mighty warrior my ass," Tony huffed. "Are those his words? Did he convince you to let him go?"

"No. I simply have enough trust that he will take care of himself," Thor shrugged.

"Thor, you barely know him. Yes, he's a good fighter, but he's reckless and cares about other people way too much for his own good. Now is definitely not the time for him to be off on his own."

"Osborn doesn't have the Venom, though," Rhodey reminded his friend. "Peter's in no more danger than any other night he goes out on patrol."

"I have to agree with Rhodes on this one, Tony," Steve put in his two cents. "Besides, it's not really fair to put him under house arrest."

"Fine, fine. Did he say when he would be back?" Tony sighed heavily.

"By morning," Thor reported. "Come, sit with us!" He held his arms out, "this television is most entertaining!"

 

* * *

Morning rolled around and Peter still hadn't come home. Tony had stayed up all night, working in his lab to distract himself. Around noon he decided to call Peter. It only rang once before Peter picked up.

"Morning, Pete. How are you doing?" Tony asked, choosing his words carefully.

"Oh, just fine, thank you for asking." Norman Osborn answered. "Mr. Parker is not available at the moment. Can I take a message?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :D
> 
> Let me know if you enjoyed, your comments keep me writing!


	21. Peter Is The Best At Keeping Secrets

"Osborn..." Tony snarled. "What have you done with my son?!"

"Nothing too bad. Yet. Hand over the Venom and you'll get him back in one piece," Osborn demanded.

"I don't know where it is, you sick fuck!"

"Tick tock, he's bleeding out."

Tony's breath caught in his throat, "w-what did you do to him?"

"Tick tock, Mr. Stark. Tick tock. Find the Venom, then we'll talk." The line went dead.

"FUCK!!" Tony flung his phone at the wall. A moment later it beeped with a new message. Tony hesitated before opening the text. The message showed an image of Spider-man's mask, torn, bloodied and covered with dirt. The left lens was completely shattered. The text under the photo read, 'all I want is the Venom. You have five hours. If I don't get it when time is up, then Queens can say goodbye to their friendly neighborhood Spider-man'

* * *

Peter groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. His eyes burned and his head throbbed. At least he wasn't twitching anymore or slobbering everywhere. He had been in and out of consciousness all morning. He became aware of the ache in his shoulders. Most likely caused by the way his arms were chained above his head. He knelt on the concrete floor, the cold making his knees go numb.

"Going to stay awake this time?" Kraven stepped towards him and shined a light in his eyes. Peter hissed and pulled away. "Eyes look normal. Good. Glad I didn't completely fry your brains out."

"Where am I? Why have you brought me here?" Peter screwed his eyes shut. There was too much light in the room. Way too much.

"You are in my home."

"Ever heard of carpet?" Peter spat, looking around the room for the first time. It looked like he was in some kind of basement. There were no windows, and the walls were plain wood planks. Animal heads and furs hung from the walls and covered most of the floor. A couch made out of tiger fur sat on the other side of the room was on the other side of the room. "Or maybe not hanging dead animals up everywhere? Not very welcoming."

Kraven chuckled as he stood up and checked the chains holding Spider-man in place. "You'll learn to appreciate art."

"I do appreciate art," Peter muttered. Steve had made sure of that fact. "And this isn't art."

"Whatever you say, Spider. Soon your head will be up on that wall, too."

Peter scrunched up his nose, "that's disgusting."

Kraven was about to say something else but he was cut off by the doorbell. "Don't go anywhere." Kraven checked the chains one last time before heading up the rickety staircase.

* * *

"I need the boy."

"What boy?" Kraven kept his front door open just enough to speak to Osborn.

"Spider-man. I saw what you did to him in the graveyard. What would you like in exchange for me taking him off your hands? Money? Booze? You name it. Just give me the boy."

Kraven opened the door a bit more, "why?"

"I need him for leverage."

"Too bad. He's my prey." Kraven crossed his arms.

"Fine. Will you allow me to take pictures of him?"

"Possibly...what for?"

"I need to convince some people that he is in my possession and that I will kill him if they don't give me what I want," Osborn replied.

"Who?"

"The Avengers."

Kraven considered it for a moment, "I will allow you to take the pictures. Do with him what you will. But keep him alive. I need him for later."

Osborn's face split into a cruel smile, "thank you."

* * *

  
"It's fake. It has to be." Natasha whispered, holding Tony's phone close to her face. "Why show the mask but not the owner? I think Osborn found the mask and is using it to mess with you."

"Maybe...even if Osborn doesn't have him, Peter was clearly hurt by something," Tony reminded his team. "We need to find the Venom."

"We shouldn't do anything until we know for sure that Osborn has Peter." Steve retorted. "We can't just hand over a dangerous weapon!"

"And I can't risk Peter's life! That bastard could be holding a gun to my boy's head!" Tony slammed his fist on the table. "We give him the Venom. But just long enough to get Peter out of there. We all could easily take Osborn down."

"I don't like this plan..." Clint shook his head, thinking of all the ways it could go wrong. "I don't doubt that we could take Osborn down. But if what he's saying is true, and he really does have Spider-man...the there must be someone on his side powerful enough to take down Spidey. Or many someones. We really don't know what we're up against."

"We're running out of time. This is the best plan we got," Steve said. "Alright, Iron Man, where do we start?"

Tony's phone pinged, another text with another photo attached. This one showed Peter himself. The boy was kneeling, his arms chained to the walls on either side of him. Dried blood covered the lacerations on his arms. Fresh blood-soaked the side of Peter's face, running down his neck and darkening the red of his suit. The text below the image read, '4 Hours, 30 Minutes. Tick, tock, Mr. Stark. Every half hour you waste in another injury.'

Iron Man switched off the screen and looked up at his teammates, "we start by contacting SHIELD." Fury still owed the team a favor after wrongfully arresting them two years ago. Now seemed like the best time to cash in on that.

* * *

  
**Fifteen Years Ago**

_"Peter, baby, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Okay?" Mary knelt down before her four-year-old son. Her in-laws were chatting in the kitchen with her husband. "Your dad and I have to go awhile for a very long time, okay? You're going to stay with your aunt and uncle. Do what they tell you ok? And eat your greens so you can be big and strong when we get back."_

_Peter nodded slowly, his brown eyes wide with a mix of emotions._

_"We'll come back as soon as we can, baby. I promise." Mary pulled him into her arms, holding him so tightly that Peter made a sound of discomfort. She held him at arm's length, looking him dead in the eye. "There's one more thing I need you to do for me. Can you promise to keep a secret?"_

_Peter nodded excitedly. He and his mother were very very close, and Peter would do just about anything for her._

_Mary took a small box out of her coat pocket and handed it to Peter. It looked like a ring box but was slightly elongated. "Keep this safe. Don't ever open it. And don't ever tell anyone you have it. This is a very big secret. Bad people want this. And if anyone knows you have it, then Mommy and Daddy will be in trouble."_

_Peter's lower lip trembled, "mommy and daddy will be in trouble if I tell?"_

_"Yes, Peter. Very big trouble. Can you do this? Keep this hidden?" She tapped the box._

_Peter hesitated before nodding._

_"Good boy," she ruffled his hair._

* * *

_Ten-year-old Peter sat cross legged in the attic, silently watching his uncle rummage through boxes. The boy wore a toy Iron Man helmet and every once and a while he would press the button on the ear, causing the eyes to light up and a very grainy recording of a repulsor to play. His uncle didn't seem to notice the noise, too focused on whatever he was searching for._ _Peter got up and wandered around the small space. He usually wasn't allowed up here, due to there being so many breakable objects and priceless family heirlooms. He noticed a rather large spider on one of the boxes and raised his hand, making soft 'pew pew' noises as he pretended to shoot the spider. The spider ignored him and crawled along to floor to uncle Ben._

_"No!" Peter darted between the two and pointed his palm at the spider. "Pew pew!" He clicked the button on his mask. The sudden noise startled the spider and it scampered off in a different direction._

_"My hero," Ben chuckled, patting the helmet. "C'mere. I need to show you something." He guided Peter to a box full of his parent's belongings. "All of this is yours now. I think you're old enough to appreciate it."_

_Peter nodded, the helmet bobbling. Uncle Ben smiled as Peter rummaged through the box. Most of it was just old photos, a few articles of clothing, and some notebooks with his father's handwriting and chemical equations that he didn't understand. He found a name plate at the bottom of the box, with his mother's name on it._

_"Ah, yes, your mother had that very brief office job with SHIELD." Ben chuckled._

_"Shield?"_

_"Government. Police. Don't really know what they do." Ben shrugged. "Do what you'd like with this stuff. I'm going to go see if your aunt needs help with dinner." Ben tapped the side of the box before heading back downstairs._

_Peter took the box to his room and set the name plate on his desk, smiling proudly at it. His mom worked for the government! How cool was that? Was she a spy? That would be even cooler. Peter went over to his bed and pulled a tiny black box out from under the mattress. The one his mother had made him promise to keep safe. So far, he had done his job. And although at times curiosity felt like it was getting the better of him, he never once opened the box. One day, when he was sure it was safe, he would. But today was not that day. He slipped the box back under the mattress and went to see what was for dinner._

* * *

  
**NOW**

Three and a half hours passed and the Avengers were still no closer to finding the Venom. They didn't even know where to start looking. Fury had hundred of agents searching like their lives depended on it, but nothing had turned up. Yet. Clint and Natasha were all for just attacking Osborn and getting Peter back by force, but even Fury agreed that that would be a bad idea, considering they didn't know exactly who or what they were dealing with. Bruce Banner was still at large, so for all they knew, the Hulk could be waiting to snap Peter's neck the moment the Avengers breathed in his direction.

"Stop looking at those." Steve ripped Tony's phone out of his hands. Every half hour, Osborn sent a new photo of Peter. Each time he had a new injury. Below each photo was a reminder of how much time remained. Tony was visibly crumbling more and more with each new text. The phone pinged with a new one. Steve willed himself not to look but did anyway. It wasn't a photo this time, it was a video.

"Play it!" Clint looked at the screen over Steve's shoulder.

"I don't think that's a good idea," the Soldier shook his head.

"I need to know what the wound is this time," Natasha reminded him. She had been keeping a list so that they would be prepared when they rescued their favorite wall crawler. Steve glanced over at Tony, who nodded. Steve took a deep breath and pressed play. The footage showed Peter, still chained to the wall. Crimson soaking various parts of his body.

"You're down to your last hour, Avengers. Are my messages not getting through to you?" Osborn said from behind the camera. "Or did I pick the wrong person to bargain with? Maybe this will get my message across a bit better."

"Uh oh..." Clint breathed out.

_**BANG** _

Peter screamed in agony.

Tony went stock still, the color draining from his face.

Blood oozed from the bullet wound in Peter's thigh. The teen trembled, tears welling up in his eyes. He looked back up at the camera and said something too quiet to hear.

Osborn snarled. "Stark, you have one hour left. Bring me the venom. Or else." He fired the gun again, it grazed Peter's shoulder.

"THE HELMET!!" Peter suddenly screamed. "STARK EXPO! HELMET!" The video abruptly cut off right after that final word.

"Helmet?" Steve looked over at Tony. Stark jumped to his feet, knowing exactly what Peter was talking about. He darted to the other side of the lab, knocking a chair over and startling Dum-E in the process.

"Peter's old helmet! He got it at the Expo when he was a kid." Tony explained hurriedly. A toy Iron Man helmet sat on a shelf in the back corner of the lab, covered in dust and tiny scratches. The first time Tony had seen it was at the Stark Expo, being worn by a little boy who had stood up to the hammer drones. The next time he had seen it was when Peter officially moved in with him. Peter had brought Tony the helmet and told him about how their first meeting had actually been at the Stark Expo. The helmet had been placed on a shelf in the lab and stayed there ever since. Peter had told Tony to protect it with his life and to never ever let anyone touch it. At the time Tony had thought Peter had been joking, or overly sentimental. Even so, Tony never once touched it or let anyone else do so. Every once in awhile he would walk past and smile fondly at it. He grabbed the toy and flipped it over. A T-shirt was stuffed inside. Had that always been there? Tony brought the helmet back over to his team, tugging the shirt out as he walked. The shirt unraveled on its own, and a box dropped onto the floor with a quiet 'plop'. Clint, being the closest, grabbed the box and opened it. Inside was a small vial containing a strange black liquid. It moved around in the glass tube, almost like the liquid of a lava lamp.

"It was here the whole time?!" Sam's eyes practically popped out of his head. "One of the most dangerous weapons of all-time, and he hid it in a fucking toy? Under our roof?! How did Peter even get that?!"

Tony shook his head in disbelief when Clint passed him the vial. "I don't know. Richard said Mary got rid of it. Guess she lied..." The more he thought about it the more sense it made. She must have kept it with her for years until she figured out the perfect place to hide it, or rather the perfect person to entrust it to. Peter was beyond trustworthy, and damn good at keeping secrets. And Peter had picked a damn good hiding spot for it.

"Well? What are we waiting for? Call Osborn back and let him know we have it," Steve handed over Tony's phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sneaky, sneaky, Peter.  
> Thank you for reading! :D
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! If you did, please let me know, your comments keep me writing!


	22. The Symbiote

"Where is he, Osborn?" Iron Man snarled. The two men stood alone in the cemetery. The Parkers' final resting places between them. Dried blood was splattered across Richard's headstone. Tony was doing his best to ignore it. "Give him back."

"You're not in a position to make demands, Mr. Stark. Show me the Venom. And I'll show you Spider-man." Osborn remained stock still, brown eyes not leaving the glowing blue of Iron Man's faceplate. Iron Man held up his hand, the small vial between his thumb and index finger. A smile tugged at the corners of Osborn's lips. "Put it on the headstone and walk away."

"Show me Spider-man first."

"No."

"You said-"

"I changed my mind. Put it down. And walk away."

Iron Man closed his fist around the vial. "Show me the boy. Or you can say goodbye to this." Iron Man held up the vial once more, rolling the glass tube between his fingers.

"You'd sacrifice your son to keep the Venom away from me?"

There was absolutely no hesitation in the way he responded with "of course not." Tony would let the world burn a million times over if it meant being able to see his son one last time. "We both mean business, Osborn. Neither of us is leaving here without what we came for." He raised his repulsor.

Osborn's face twisted into something Tony couldn't quite read. The smile on his face with giving the Avenger chills. "Guess we're doing this the hard way, then."

"Incoming, boss!" FRIDAY warned right before a glider slammed into Iron Man's side, sending him flying across the graveyard and crashing into a tombstone. His fist remained firmly clamped around the vial. "Osborn has injected himself with something," FRIDAY reported. Tony got to his feet just in time to see Osborn morph into something grotesque. His features had shifted into something that resembled a goblin, his skin a sickly green. The glider zoomed towards him and Osborn leaped onto it.

"That's new," Tony commented.

"Twenty more inbounds," Natasha was the one to report this time. Tony had been told to come alone, but that didn't stop the rest of the team from tagging along and hiding in the cemetery. True to her word, twenty more goblin-like creatures on gliders were heading right for them.

"This seems like a bad place to have a battle," Clint commented over the comms.

"We have no choice, have you located Spider-man, Falcon?" Steve responded.

"He's not in the graveyard, or anywhere nearby." The winged Avenger reported. "Get ready guys..."

The Goblins attacked.

The graveyard became a blood bath. Screams erupted, drawing in civilians as well as the local police. It was just after five O'clock, and there was still quite a few people out on the streets. Thankfully, no one dared enter the graveyard.

"What the hell are those things?" A woman screamed.

"Who cares? The Avengers shouldn't be picking fights in a cemetery. It's disrespectful," a masculine voice answered.

Tony wasn't able to give his all in the fight, not with so many bystanders, but he was doing his best. He and Osborn were currently locked in a fight, hovering about a hundred feet above the main battle. What happened next was a blur. A new wave of goblins swarmed around Tony, throwing what looked like...pumpkins? Yes, definitely pumpkins, at the Avenger. The bright light they emitted caused Tony to momentarily black out. He heard multiple people screaming his name over the comms. He wasn't aware that he had been falling until he hit the ground.

"TONY!!" Steve jumped into the small crater that had been carved out under the weight of the armor. he practically fell on top of his boyfriend, shaky hands running over his breast plate and helmet. He found the latch under Tony's jaw and popped the face plate open. "TONY!!"

"Stop yelling..." Tony had his eyes screwed shut, "I'm fine...ow..." the armor groaned as he forced himself into a sitting position. "Oh fuck..."

"Oh fuck?! What's 'oh fuck'?!" Rhodey asked, having just landed next to his friend.

"They got it..." Tony stared down at his now empty hand.

* * *

Kraven lounged on the couch, legs propped up on the armrest. He rolled a tiny vial between his fingers, studying the strange black liquid within. Osborn had given him a small piece of the symbiote as a way of thanking Kraven for letting him use Spider-man. Osborn didn't really explain what it was, just that it would make Kraven stronger. Faster. More aggressive in his hunt. Kraven wasn't one for drugs, but he was intrigued by the substance. Physical contact. That was what Osborn had said would activate it. Kraven wanted to test it out, but he wasn't about to try it without knowing exactly what it did. An idea popped into his head and he slowly turned to look at the arachnid still chained up on the other side of the room.

"Don't." Spider-man hissed.

Kraven smiled and approached him. "How would you like to be my test subject, spider?"

"Not something I'm particularly interested in, but thanks for asking."

"You're used to experiments, aren't you?" Kraven said suddenly. "The scars on your body are too neat to be anything else." He nodded to Peter's forearms. Most of his costume was in shreds after the hours of torture Osborn had inflicted on him. "Osborn told me that was how you got your powers. You're a lab rat. An escaped lab rat. I have to admit, knowing you are not a natural occurrence in this world makes my hunt a little less interesting."

"Don't call me a lab rat," Peter snarled. He wished he still had his mask. He didn't like it when his enemies could read his emotions so easily.

"You can't change what you are, spider. That's not up to you," Kraven reminded. He popped the top off the vial and let the liquid drip onto Peter's face. It was cold and slimy and sent shivers down Peter's spine. The liquid increased in size and became more stringy, latching itself onto other parts of Peter's body in order to spread itself faster. Pretty soon Peter was completely covered in black sludge. White circles appeared over his eyes, slowly shifting into the shape of his usual lenses. Peter could feel the cold liquid seeping in through the many cuts that littered his body, turning his blood to ice as it shot through his veins. Peter let out a strangled sob. He didn't want this. He didn't want someone to change his body. Again. And yet, here he was, powerless to do anything but let it happen.

All of a sudden, he stopped feeling light headed. His wounds closed on their own, the extreme blood loss he had been experiencing some how no longer an issue. Was the symbiote...helping him? Peter gathered his new found strength and broke his chains. Kraven stumbled back. Black tendrils shot out, impaling Kraven against the wall. They missed his vital organs, a mistake that the symbiote wouldn't make a second time.

"Don't..." Peter gagged, having heard the symbiote's thoughts. He made it let Kraven go. Kraven slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. "I...we...we...need help..." Peter fumbled for the panic button in his pocket. No less than five minutes after pressing it, did Iron Man bust in through the roof, slamming down on the concrete floor with a heavy metal thud.

The symbiote screamed inside Peter's head, warning him of danger. The new voice in Peter's head caused him to panic and scramble underneath a table. He clamped his hands over his ears, wanting the second voice in his head to stop. "No, no, no, no, go away!" He yelled at the voice. It continued to speak in a tone that could only be described as snake-like. It told him to fight. To kill.

"Peter, calm down, it's just me." Iron Man reached for Peter's arm, raising his face plate in the process.

"D-dad?" Peter choked out.  _Dad? No, he's not your father, Peter!_ The symbiote snarled.

"Yup. C'mere. I'm not going to hurt you," Tony assured him. "I just want to help." Peter slowly crawled towards his father, who wrapped him in a tight hug once he was at arm's length. The symbiote brushed against Tony but didn't latch onto him. "I gotcha, kiddo. Everything's going to be okay now." Peter rested his face against the cold chest plate. The voice in his head had gone quiet.

"How do we get that thing off him?" Clint frowned at the stringy black substance that was starting to solidify around his body.

"Let me handle it," Tony sighed.

"Is it going to hurt?" Peter asked.

Tony dodged the question, "we need to get back to the lab. Quickly. Before it starts messing with your head."

"It's already messing with my head!" At this point, Peter was in panic mode. "Is it gonna take away my memories?!" He didn't want to forget. Not again. Peter tugged at his mask, but the black goo wouldn't budge.

"No, no, it won't!" Tony said quickly, "it just makes its host more aggressive. That's it! Let's get you back to the lab."

"It's going to hurt isn't it?" Peter asked again. Tony opened his mouth to respond but closed it again. He didn't know the answer to that question.

"It's bonded with your blood. It's not going to be easy to get out," Tony whispered. "We can put you under, just to be safe."

Peter shook his head violently. The symbiote was digging through his memories, pulling up images of when Bruce had strapped him to a table, promising Peter that he wouldn't hurt him even though he had been slicing up Peter's wrist at the time. Another memory popped up of Bruce inserting needles into his arm. "No! No more needles! No more tests, no more messing with my body! If it's in my blood then it's going to stay there!"

"No, it's not going to stay there! We won't mess with your body, we won't change anything about you, we just-"

"That's what everyone says! But then they move my organs around and take out the stuff that's unnecessary and they change my body however they want! Every time, they fuck it up more and more!" Peter screamed, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. The symbiote reminded Peter of the time Iron Man had electrocuted him. Peter tried to tell the symbiote that Tony hadn't been in control, that it wasn't his fault. _Are you sure? Kraven did the same thing to you last night. They're all the same. You're just a science project to them. And they'll do anything to keep you in line._  The voice hissed in the back of his head. _Y_ _ou go with them now, and you'll be stuck in a cage for the rest of your life. I can protect you, Peter. Protect you from them._  "People inject me with whatever gets the best results. Whatever makes me less human than I already was! Whatever they want me to be! They just keep fucking it up!" There was something off about Peter's voice. It was murky. Dark, and threatening.

"I'm not going to hurt you like that," Tony tightened his grip on his son. "We'll get you back to how you were before. It'll be okay."

"To before I was a science project? Are you going to take away my powers like you did my suit?"

Tony's expression darkened. "No. And you're not a science project. I meant before the symbiote bonded with you."

Peter shook his head and pulled away. "It says I can't trust you. I'm sorry." He ran, ignoring the upset shouts behind him.

The Avengers followed Peter back to his apartment. Peter wasn't really trying to hide where he had gone. He went straight there. No doubling back or taking odd turns to confuse his family. He didn't really care if they followed, he just wanted to go home. And now the Avengers stood outside his door. Michelle being the only thing that kept them from barging in. Michelle opened the door just enough to glare at them. "No."

"We just want to talk to him."

"Too bad," MJ slammed the door and locked it.

"MJ, please, we just want to help," Natasha shoved her way in front of everyone. "We won't hurt him-"

"A lot of people say that. And they're usually lying," Michelle pointed out.

"We're his family-"

"So were Bruce and Wanda," Michelle huffed.

"Don't compare us to them," Tony growled, "you know we would never sink to their level."

"I'm still not letting you in."

"Okay," Steve kicked open the door like it was nothing. Michelle yelped and grabbed the closest object, a pair of scissors. She pointed it at them, eyes blazing with determination.

Peter, who had been sitting on the couch, immediately leaped to his feet. "MJ!"

Michelle stepped in front of him, "my turn to protect you"

"Ma'am, put the scissors down," Steve held up his hands to show he meant no harm.

"Leave and I will!" She snipped the scissors a few times in warning.

"MJ, it's okay. They can come in," Peter whispered. "This...thing isn't talking anymore. I got it to shut up." Michelle didn't budge. "What I said before was Venom talking. Not me. The Avengers aren't at fault here." Michelle hesitated before lowering the scissors. Peter gently took the weapon from her hands and set it aside.

Tony stepped forward. "Peter, we really need you to come back to the compound with us. That thing, we need to get it off you before-"

"I know. I know. I just...I don't want people to keep messing with my body. It's mine." Peter hugged himself.

"I know, buddy. I know," Tony gave him a sad look, "I won't do anything you're not comfortable with. And it won't hurt. I promise I'll do everything in my power to make sure it won't. You trust me, right?"

Peter looked over at his father, his expression hidden by his mask. "I do."

"So you'll let us help you?" Natasha pressed. Peter nodded slowly. Natasha smiled brightly, "good. Come along, little spider," she motioned for him to come over to the team.

"I'm coming with him," MJ took Peter's hand. Peter gave her hand a loving squeeze. "And you can't stop me."

"Wasn't planning on it," Tony chuckled.

* * *

  
"How _are_ you going to do it?" Steve whispered to Tony. Tony glanced over his shoulder at Peter, who was sitting on top of a workbench with Michelle. The two were whispering to each other, their heads leaning against one another. The symbiote had solidified, turning his costume completely black, except for the white of his lenses. It looked like it was trying to form a white spider on his chest, but the design was different each time someone looked at it. Tony had been pacing the lab, gathering supplies for the past hour. Steve was a little concerned that Tony didn't really know what he was doing, considering he kept changing his mind about certain tools and kept asking FRIDAY for a second opinion.

"Not easily," Tony muttered. "Venom is probably still angry that I separated it from Richard. It's not going to back down from Richard's son without a fight." The engineer took a deep breath, "Peter is going to hate me after this."

* * *

 

**Four Months After Peter's Adoption**

_Spider-man was literally bouncing off the walls. He had been confined to the compound after breaking his leg and had been going stir crazy waiting for it to heal. The moment it healed, Bruce let the young arachnid lose on the compound. Spider-man wasn't really causing any problems, but the Avengers were a little nervous about their newest member running a muck, so they were currently trying to reign him back in. Although, Clint and Steve were the only ones actively trying to stop Spider-man. Bruce just let it happen, Tony was ignoring the situation, and all the other Avengers were elsewhere._

_"Settle down before you break something else!" Steve tried to grab Spider-man as he ran by, but Peter ducked out of the way. He kicked off the back of the couch and did a flip, landing in a crouch with one leg out._

_"How the hell do you even have so much energy in that tiny body?" Clint snorted. "HEY!!" He yelped when Spider-man suddenly darted towards him. He jumped over Clint and stuck himself to the window._

_"Seriously, you need to settle down, soldier," Steve ordered._

_"He's been bed ridden all week. Let him do what he wants," Bruce had been loosely following Spider-man around the compound._

_Steve shook his head. "He should take it slow, his leg-"_

_"Is fine," Bruce assured him. "I wouldn't have let him leave med bay if it wasn't."_

_"Fine. Looks like I'll have to get the big guns." Steve stormed off. He returned a minute later with Tony at his side. For some reason, Stark was the only one who Spider-man listened to._

_"Spidey, what the hell are you doing?" Tony crossed his arms._

_"Enjoying my life?" Spider-man crawled along the ceiling._

_"I can see that. You should be resting."_

_"I'm not tired!"_

_"Spidey. Behave. Or I'm taking away the suit." It was an empty threat. And Spider-man knew it._

_"Zoom!" Spider-man shot_ a web _and let go of the ceiling, swinging himself through the doorway. He sprinted off the moment his feet touched the ground._

_"Zoom?" Steve blinked, ignoring Clint's fit of laughter. It wasn't long before Peter was back in the common area, bouncing off the walls and flipping over furniture._

_"Mr. Stark! Watch this!" Peter did a backflip but ended up falling flat on his face. Tony couldn't help but laugh. Peter rolled onto his back. "I did that on purpose."_

_"Suuuure you did," Tony chuckled. Peter stuck out his tongue, distorting his mask. "Are you done with...whatever all that was?" He leaned over Spidey, waving one hand around._

_"Nope!" Spider-man sprung back up and ran off once more._

_"Jesus, that man has more energy than all of us combined..." Steve shook his head in disbelief._

_It was a few more hours before Tony saw Peter again. Tony had been hard at work in his lab when Peter appeared behind him. The moment the teen took off his mask, a thousand questions flooded out of his mouth. "What's that? Why's it glowing? Can it change colors? Does it fly? What's its name? You should call it Wednesday. But don't spell it like 'Wednesday', because 'Wednesday' is a stupid word. Who thought it was a good idea to spell it like that? Probably the same person who made up the word "February". Do we have any more Capri Suns?"_

_Tony set down his tools and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I see you haven't run out of energy yet...Capri Suns are where they always are." Peter skipped away, returned a second later with juice pouches for him and Tony. Peter always grabbed one for Tony, even though his father didn't see the appeal in them. After moving into the compound, Tony had noticed Peter's odd eating habits. Sure, he ate a lot, but that was to be expected with his increased metabolism. And he was after all, still a teenager. Tony wasn't sure how Peter could still function after eating so many pop tarts and Capri Suns. Or pizza. The boy could probably eat more Pizza than both Steve and Thor combined. Tony supposed it could be worse. Peter could be doing drugs. Speaking of which._

_"Got a light?"_

_"W-what?" The straw missed Peter's mouth and almost went_ up _his nose. "Mr. Stark, I don't smoke."_

_"I know. Just checking. I should be making sure you're not doing drugs, right? I'm still new to this parenting thing." Tony shrugged._

_"I guess? I mean, trust is a thing I thought we had." Peter finally got the straw in his mouth and took a long sip of the juice._

_"And enough with this 'Mr. Stark' stuff, you're a Stark now too. It's weird hearing you call me that," Tony waved a screwdriver at Peter._

_"What am I supposed to call you then?"_

_"How about just 'dad'?" Tony suggested._

_Peter considered it as he finished his juice and blew air back into the pouch. "That's weirder. I'll just call you Tony."_

_"Don't."_

_"Anthony, then."_

_"God, no!" Tony groaned._

_"Edward." Peter grinned._

_"You better stop right there, Benjamin," Tony shot back. He pretended to be angry, but his smile gave him away._

_"Mr. Edward."_

_"I'm disowning you."_

_"Do it. I dare ya." Peter slapped the juice pouch, blowing the air in Tony's face._

_"You little..." Tony lunged for Peter, who yelped and ran across the room. Tony was hard on his heels. Peter wasn't able to move as fast in the cluttered lab, and Tony easily caught him and put him in a headlock. The two wrestled on the ground, shouting half hearted insults at each other._

_"The hell is going on in here?" Steve called from the other side of the lab. "Hey, no rough housing!" Thankfully, he was unable to see Peter's face from where he stood. Tony let go of Peter, who retrieved his mask from his belt and yanked it over his face. "Seriously, you two? Can't I leave you guys alone for five minutes without you acting like children? You're grown men. Act like it."_

_Peter snickered. The Avengers still had no idea he was only fifteen. Tony shot the teen a look out of the corner of his eye._

_"Clint, Bruce and I are going out for dinner, are you two going to join us?" Steve changed the subject._

_"Not tonight, Capsicle. Junior here has homework. Lots of homework." Tony smirked. Peter groaned._

_"Homework?" Steve raised an eyebrow._

_"College," Tony reminded him. Steve nodded and left the room. Once the two were alone in the facility, they migrated to the kitchen to make dinner. Peter spread his homework out on the kitchen table but made no effort to actually do any of it. Instead, he was chattering away about some boy in his chemistry class._

_"So you like him?" Tony concluded, not looking up from the pasta he was making._

_Peter looked away, "m-maybe? I-I...um...is that a problem?"_

_Tony looked over at him, "what do you mean?"_

_"Me liking boys? Are you okay with that? I can leave if you're not..."_

_Tony turned the burners down on the stove and took a seat across from Peter. "You really think I would disown you for being gay?"_

_Peter refused to meet Tony's gaze._

_"Peter. Look at me." Tony frowned. Peter slowly turned to do so. "It's okay if you're gay. I don't care who you love as long as you're happy. Okay?"_

_"Okay," Peter relaxed._

_"This boy isn't by chance named 'Harry Osborn' is he?" Tony asked suddenly._

_"No? I don't know anyone by that name." Peter blinked._

_"Good. Like I said, I don't care who you date. But stay away from anyone named Osborn. I don't want a reenactment of Romeo and Juliet happening under this roof."_

_Peter rolled his eyes. He knew about the competition between Stark Industries and Oscorp. "Whatever." Tony went back to the stove. Peter continued, "anyway...um I'm going over to his house on Friday. To work on that diorama I told you about. For biology class."_

_"Want me to give you a ride?"_

_"Yes, please. But we need to go to the store on the way. I was supposed to get colored paper. And I haven't...yeah." He motioned to his previously broken leg._

_"That's fine. Anything else you need? Glue sticks? Markers? Condoms?"_

_"OH. MY. GOD. NO." Peter hid his face in his hands._

_"Just asking," Tony chuckled. "Get your text books off the table. Dinner's ready."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending on a happy flash back because this shit about to get REAL.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this longer chapter, if you did let me know! Your comments keep me writing!


	23. Just In Case

  
**One Year and Six Months Ago**

_"We could-"_

_"No."_

_"No?" Peter blinked, looking over at Michelle. The two were alone in his room, lazing on the bed. Michelle was lying across his torso, her arms hanging off the side of the bed._

_"I just want to lay here. You make a good pillow," Michelle said with her usual blank expression._

_"Can I look at your sketchbook?" Peter asked, his hands fidgetting. Peter had always found it difficult to relax. Even before the spider bite. He had to be constantly doing something, constantly creating or fixing. The little robots and disassembled electronics around his room were proof of that. Tony had to come through once a month and relocate all of Peter's projects to one of the many labs at the facility._

_Michelle slapped him in the face with the book. Peter flipped through the sketchbook. He stopped on a sketch that showed himself sitting on a window sill, Ned sitting on the floor under him. His heart ached a little at the drawing of Ned. They both tried really hard to make their relationship work, but they came to the realization that they should just be friends. And that was the end of that. He flipped to the next page and his face turned bright red._

_"Um...MJ? What's this?" He turned the book around. The sketch was of Spider-man, hanging upside down in an alley. Kissing Michelle._

_"Us kissing. Isn't that obvious?" A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth._

_"Karen keeps telling me to kiss people when I'm upside down," Peter chuckled._

_"We should try it out sometimes. For science," Michelle's smile was more prominent now. Peter's heart fluttered, and he was pretty sure Michelle could feel it. After the fallout with Ned, Peter had been spending more time with MJ. She visited the compound almost every weekend. The Avenger had been trying to ignore his blossoming feelings for her, but it was getting harder and harder to do so. Especially when she smiled at him like she was doing right now. Her smile made him forget all of the awful things in the world. She was like a light in a dark room. His light._

_"R-really?"_

_"Yes, really." Michelle shifted around so her face was inches from Peter's. "You're cute when you're all flustered," her hand ghosted over his cheek. "I actually like you, believe it or not."_

_"I-I like you, too," Peter stuttered. "Y-you're_ really _, um, pretty."_

_Michelle laughed, "you are literally the biggest dork on this planet." She pressed her lips against his. Peter's eyes fluttered shut, losing himself in the kiss. He was a bit disappointed when she pulled away. Not because he hadn't enjoyed it. He just wished it would keep going. "But you're my dork."_

_"Marry me?" Peter blurted out._

_"Usually you date someone before you marry them, tiger."_

_"Will you go out with me, then?" Peter brushed a few strands of curly hair out of her face and tucked them behind her ear. Michelle kissed him again, this time with more passion._

_"Fuck yes," Michelle breathed out._

* * *

  
**One Year and Three Months Ago**

_"Sorry, it just...happened..." Peter kept his eyes locked on the shards of glass that littered the floor. He sat perfectly still as Michelle dabbed at his bloodied palm with a wet rag._

_"It's okay, I understand," Michelle said softly._

_Peter opened his mouth to say something else but closed it again. He had hidden his PTSD from Michelle for an entire year. Peter had kept up his "happy, friendly Peter Parker" act so well that he was starting to fool himself. And then he had to go and have an episode. Right in the middle of his girlfriend's living room. Thankfully, it hadn't been too bad. Just a panic attack. No flashbacks or screaming his head off this time. The glass he had been holding shattered under his super strength._

_"What triggered it?" She asked. Peter looked over at the coffee table. She followed his gaze to her aunt's sewing kit. "Needles?" Peter never told anyone outside of the Avengers what exactly had happened to him in the few months he was absent from school. When he had finally returned to Midtown High, he acted as though he had never left. Something had clearly happened, though. He had scars on his face and dark circles under his eyes clear proof._

_The panic button never left Peter's pocket._

_"No, no, the...thread. Blue spool of thread." His voice was barely audible._

_Michelle's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She plucked the offending item from the table and threw it away. "It's gone."_

_"Sorry."_

_"You don't need to keep apologizing, tiger." Michelle's voice was gentle._

_"I do though. I panicked over a fucking string." Peter hid his face in his uninjured hand. "You probably think I'm such a wimp."_

_Michelle shook her head, "I don't. You don't get to pick what triggers you. Peter, look at me." Peter looked at her from between his fingers. MJ pulled his hand away and kissed his cheek. "I won't ask what happened. It's up to you if you ever want to tell me. But I just want you to know...I love you. I love you, and I'm here for you. Can I hug you?"_

_"Please."_

_Michelle slipped her arms around Peter and held him close._

_"Thank you," Peter laid his head on her shoulder, feeling more at ease in her arms than he had felt in years. "I love you."_

_"I love you, too," Michelle smiled softly._

* * *

  
**One Year Ago**

_"Teach me how to use a gun."_

_Natasha and Clint spun around at the voice. Michelle stood before them, her expression betraying no emotions._

_"What for?" Natasha put a hand on her shoulder, brow knitting together in worry. "Are you in danger?" A million possible scenarios flew through her mind. Had someone figured out Peter's identity, and was using MJ to get to him? Had MJ picked a fight with someone she shouldn't have? The young woman went to a lot of protests, so the latter option was very plausible._

_"Who do we need to kill?" Clint's expression darkened._

_"No one. I just want to be able to protect myself. And Peter," Michelle explained._

_"From what?" Clint and Natasha exchanged a look._

_"The world. I'm best friends with Spider-man. My life has been in danger because of it since day one. But I don't want him to get hurt trying to keep me safe. I want to be able to defend myself. And protect him if, when, I need to."_

_"I understand. But let's start out with simple self-defense moves," Natasha smiled. "And knives. Knives are handy."_

_"I agree with Nat. We'll work you up to guns, kiddo." Clint patted Michelle's other shoulder._

_The next time Michelle visited the compound, Tony pulled her aside and handed her a box. Inside was a gun._

_"Nat said you wanted a gun. She also said not to give you one." Tony stuffed his hands in his pockets, glancing around to make sure they were alone._

_"So why give me one?" Michelle ran a hand over the cold metal._

_"You know why." Tony looked her dead in the eye. "Don't make me regret this."_

_"I won't." Michelle tucked the box under her arm. "Thank you."_

* * *

**Ten Months Ago**

_"This is so unfair!" Peter dropped his head on the monopoly board._

_"You're just a sore loser," Clint poked his head._

_"No, I'm not!" Peter straightened up, "he wins every time!" He pointed an accusing finger at his father, who was fanning himself with the brightly colored money._

_"Of course he wins every time. He's Tony fucking Stark," Clint groaned. He was the first one to go bankrupt. "I thought for sure you would take him down this time. I want to see that smug smile wiped off his face."_

_"Not gonna happen, birdbrain," Tony tossed the money in Clint's face._

_"You're cleaning that up," Clint frowned._

_"Make me," Tony crossed his arms._

_"Steve, make him clean up the fake money," Clint demanded, shoving the paper back over to the billionaire._

_Steve raised an eyebrow, "you really think Tony listens to me?"_

_"I answer to no one," Tony held his head high._

_"At least one of the Starks have manners," Natasha commented, noticing that Peter was cleaning up the game._

_"Not a Stark," Peter huffed. "Don't associate me with that weirdo."_

_"Says the guy who sticks to walls," Sam snickered._

_"Fair," Peter put the lid on the box and put it back on the shelf with the other board games. Instead of playing another game, they decided to watch a movie. Halfway through the movie, Peter cuddled up against Tony's side and fell asleep._

_"Do you think he's happy?" Tony whispered to Steve. Steve looked at the teenager between them and shrugged. Tony carded a hand through Peter's hair, a sad look in his eyes. "I'm a bad parent."_

_"That's not true. Peter obviously doesn't think that." Steve pointed at Peter's hand, which was latched onto Tony's shirt like a lifeline._

* * *

  
**Six Months Ago**

_"Peter?"_

_Peter looked up from the drone he was fiddling with, "yeah, dad?"_

_"I'm proud of you." Tony wasn't looking at him, his attention focused on the many holograms that floated around him._

_Peter blinked. "Where did that come from?"_

_Tony shrugged, "realized I never told you that. Wanted you to know. Just in case."_

_"In case of what?" Peter frowned, slowly lowering the screwdriver he was holding._

_Tony shrugged again, not caring to elaborate. Peter stared at him, his eyes boring into Tony's head until the older man was forced to turn around. "My dad never told me he was proud of me. Never even said he loved me. I don't want to be like him."_

_Peter nodded, looking back down at the drone._

_"I'm proud of you, Peter," Tony repeated, a warm smile on his face. "I'm happy you're my kid. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."_

_"Thanks, Dad," Peter smiled shyly. Tony nodded and turned his attention back to the holograms. Peter twirled the screwdriver in his hand, deep in thought._

* * *

  
**_One Month Ago_ **

_"You're home early. Or late. You're home." Michelle didn't bother looking up from her book. The bedroom window squeaked, and that was all she needed to hear to know that Peter was home. Peter leaned over the back of the couch, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Ew! you're all wet!" She squirmed out of his grasp._

_"It's raining! What did you expect?" Peter gave her puppy dog eyes, even though he still had his mask on._

_"Put on dry clothes. Then you can hug the queen."_

_"Yes, ma'am," Peter trudged back to the bedroom. "How was art school today?"_

_"Drew a bunch of dicks," Michelle reported. "Not as much fun as drawing boobs, but I'll take what I can get. How was crime fighting?"_

_"Didn't get stabbed."_

_"Always a plus," Michelle went over to the bedroom, leaning in the doorway as she watched Peter change. She caught a glimpse of the circular scar on his chest right before he put a shirt on. She always wondered what had caused it, but never asked._

_Peter marched over and wrapped her in a tight hug, "I missed you."_

_"I can tell," Michelle gladly returned the hug and put their foreheads together. They were practically the same height. "I missed you too, tiger."_

_"Want to tell me why there's a gun in the sock drawer?"_

_"Just in case."_

_"In case of what?" Peter pulled away, worry clear on his face._

_"In case you eat the last Oreo."_

_"We have Oreos?" Peter blinked._

_Michelle jabbed him in the forehead, "nope. Cause you ate an entire pack in one sitting and I refuse to buy more. The gun is in case someone breaks in."_

_"MJ...I'm Spider-man."_

_Michelle gasped, "you are?! Why didn't you tell me?!"_

_Peter's expression remained serious. "I'd protect you if someone broke in. You don't need a gun, MJ."_

_"You're not always here," she reminded. Peter tried to say something else but Michelle cut him off, "I know you hate guns. But I feel better having it. Your dad showed me how to use it so-"_

_"Steve?"_

_"Tony."_

_"I'm going to kick his ass," Peter huffed._

_"No, you're not," Michelle said._

_"You haven't had to use it, have you?" Peter glanced back at the dresser, glaring at the drawer that the gun was hidden in._

_"No. Hopefully, I'll never have to."_

* * *

**NOW**

 

 

"I want to die."

"Don't say that."

"I made Peter cry."

"..."

"Steve, I made my son cry. I made him scream. He begged me to kill him." Tony choked out. He had his back to Steve. The lab was in shambles. Tony had instructed everyone to stay far away from the lab until he was sure it was safe. Less than an hour later, FRIDAY had informed the Captain that his presence was needed in the lab. None of the other Avengers, or Michelle, were allowed in. "He wanted to die."

Steve took a step towards his lover, broken glass cracking under his boot. "Where is he?"

Tony didn't answer.

"Stark. Where is Peter?"

Tony avoided the question, "I couldn't separate them. I couldn't do it."

"Where. Is. Peter." 

"Gone."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The symbiote, I think...I think it convinced Peter that he wouldn't feel any more pain if he let it take over..."

The color drained from Steve's face. 

"I made my boy cry, Steve. He cried and I couldn't-"

"Tony," Steve gripped his shoulders tightly and looked him in the eye. "We need to find Peter and you need to finish what you started. I know it's hard, but you have to do this. Now. Where is he?"

"Behind you," Tony whispered.

_**THWIP** _

Webbing hit Steve in the back and yanked him across the room.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, this chapter took a hot second to write.  
> This one was almost entirely flash backs because reasons.  
> Six more chapters to go...and then an epilogue with Peter's much-deserved happiness. 
> 
> Let me know if you enjoyed, your comments keep me writing!


	24. My body, my rules

  
"A little help here, Stark!!" Steve yelled, narrowly avoiding getting his throat torn apart by Venom's claws.

Tony hadn't moved from his stool. He watched the fight play out before him in total silence.

"Dammit, Tony! Pete, can you hear me? You need to-OW. STOP." Steve slammed his shield into Venom's chest, knocking him back a few feet. Blood oozed from a fresh cut on the bridge of his nose. The symbiote snarled and lunged again. "I know you're upset, but I need you to just take a deep breath and calm down," Steve wrestled Venom onto his back, using his super human strength to hold him down.

Venom let out an inhuman hissing noise and clawed at the shield that was pressed into his chest.

"C'mon, Peter, work with me!" Steve grunted.

Venom bucked, throwing Steve off of him. He flipped onto all fours, hissing again before going for Steve's jugular.

An Iron Man suit collided with Venom just in time. The two crashed through the opposite wall. Steve looked over to where Tony was sitting only to find the stool vacant. Steve jumped through the new hole in the wall to see Tony battling his son.

"Stay back, Cap. I got this!" Tony called right before Venom kicked him square in the chest, slamming him against the wall with a loud metallic clang.

"I find that really hard to believe, considering how you were acting five seconds ago," Steve ran into the fray.

"Sorry about that, Capsickle. Today's been a little traumatizing. But I think I'm good now." He grabbed Peter from behind, looping his large metal arms around the teen's small frame. Venom snarled in frustration. He thrashed in Tony's arms, his own arms were trapped at his sides. The armor whirred but didn't let up.

"Steve, I need you to get a sedative. Find something strong enough for Spider-man." Tony said quickly. Venom let out a strangled scream, tossing his head back against Iron Man's chest plate and leaving a dent. Sparks shot out from the armor's arms. "HURRY. I can't hold him much longer!!"

Steve sprinted back to the lab. Dum-E whirred happily, waving an empty syringe in its claw. "Thanks," Steve grabbed the needle and spun around wildly, not sure where to find the sedative itself. Med bay was on the other side of the building. He wouldn't get there and back in time. FRIDAY opened up one of the metal cabinets, a rack of vials sliding out.

"Any vial from the second row should work," FRIDAY reported. "Use the entire contents of whichever vial you choose."

Steve did as she instructed. Venom broke free the moment he returned. Steve lunged for Venom, and after a brief tussle, both adults were able to wrestle the symbiote to the ground. Steve plunged the syringe into Peter's neck. Venom let out a blood-curdling scream. Black tendrils shot out of his body, throwing the Avengers in opposite directions. Venom stumbled to his feet. The black goo on Peter's body became unstable. Large quantities splatted on the ground, while the tendrils danced around his body, trying to latch back onto him. His entire form was still covered in the dark paste. For a moment, a bit of red from the Spider-man suit was visible. But only for a moment. The elder Avengers tried to get closer to him once more, but the tendrils kept them at bay.

"Why isn't it working?!" Steve said. "Shouldn't he be unconscious?"

"I-I don't know...FRIDAY, assemble the Avengers!" Tony ordered.

The Avengers came rushing in almost instantly. Michelle hung just outside the door. Inside the room, she could hear a mix of horrible sounds. People yelling, gunshots, repulsor blasts, glass shattering. That inhuman snarl of the symbiote. Peter's own scream sliced through the air. The fighting continued as if no one had heard it. Michelle had to do something. She was suddenly aware of just how heavy her book bag felt. She dipped one hand in it, fingers brushing over the cold metal at the bottom. She started to take the gun out. "No..." She shook her head and put it back. Tony had given her the gun to protect not only herself but also Peter.

To protect. Not to use against.

Her mind raced, trying to figure out a different course of action. A lot of people compared Peter to a puppy. And it wasn't just because he was good at giving people puppy dog eyes. It was because of how innocent he was. Even after everything that happened to him. Peter constantly sought out approval or any other form of positive attention. And hugs. Peter could never get enough hugs. Brute force wasn't the answer when dealing with the friendly neighborhood Spider-man.

Michelle dropped her book bag outside the door and stepped into the room.

"No! Stay back!!" Natasha hollered. Michelle ignored her, continuing to walk towards Spider-man. The arachnid was stuck to the wall. He pressed himself low against the surface, a growl rumbling in the back of his throat. Peter wasn't in control of his body, but he could hear what was happening. In some dark corner of his mind, he could hear the desperate pleas of his family. He didn't want to keep fighting his them. He had done it far too many times already and he didn't think his heart could take much more. Peter sobbed, even though no one could hear it.

Steve made a move to grab Michelle, but Tony stepped between them. "Wait."

"Hey, Tiger," MJ stood in front of Peter. Venom hissed but made no move to attack. "Calm down, I'm not gonna fight you."

 _Hey, Tiger._ MJ's word's reached Peter and he sobbed even more. _"Get out of here, MJ! I don't want to hurt you!"_ He screamed. No one heard.

Venom stopped growling. The symbiote was still having trouble staying together. A few large drops of goo hit the ground with a gross squishing noise. Venom knew what this woman meant to Peter. Knew just how much Peter trusted her. And she hadn't flat out attacked him like the rest of the Avengers, so at the moment, Venom had no reason to want to kill her.

"You don't have to fight anymore, Petey, it's okay." She held her arms out for a hug.

"Peter'ssss gone," Venom's voice was like gravel.

 _"I'm still here! Let me out, Venom!"_ Peter demanded.

"You're lying. He's still in there somewhere," Michelle continued to smile. "C'mon, Petey. Come back to me."

"He doessssn't want to come back. Leave ussss alone, girl." Venom hissed.

"No. I'm not leaving until you let him go," Michelle stood her ground. "Can you hear me, Tiger? I'm here, I'm here for you, just like I said I would be. Come back to me, baby."

"I do not want to kill you," Venom said, moving across the wall.

"Then don't." Michelle followed him, never more than two feet away.

"Leave usssss alone."

"Not until you let Peter go."

Venom's eyes narrowed. "I did not want to do thissss." He kicked off the wall, launching himself right at MJ.

Michelle was frozen in terror. Venom now had her pinned under him. His face was just inches from her own. Cold claws brushed against her throat. Venom pulled back his hand to deliver the killing blow.

Michelle screamed.

 _"NO! LEAVE HER ALONE! Letting you take over was a big mistake! I take it all back! You can't have this body! It's mine!"_ Peter's anguish had been replaced with raw determination. This was his body. His family. His girlfriend. And he'd die before he let anyone hurt any of those things ever again. Enough was enough.  _"I won't let you use this body to kill!"_

Venom tried to bring his arm down, but couldn't. "What...? No!"

 _"Yes."_ Peter snarled. _"Get off her, you sack of shit."_

Venom stumbled back, no longer in control of most of Peter's body.

"P-Peter?" Michelle crab walked back several feet. Natasha and Clint were at her side in an instant.

Peter reached up and pried the symbiote off his face, gasping for air when the goo was torn from his mouth. "Gross!" He spat, bits of black mixed with crimson hitting the floor. The symbiote let out a pained screech, the tendrils hovered behind Peter's head, coming together to form a grotesque face. The face continued to writhe and scream as Peter ripped the symbiote from every square inch of his body. Both hands took hold of the white spider on his chest. "Get...OFF!" He tore the end of the black costume to pieces, revealing the classic red beneath.

The symbiote's face melted away with one final scream. The black liquid covered the floor, but for once, it didn't move. Peter fell to his hands and knees, breathing heavily.

"Peter?" Michelle whispered.

"Oh, hey, MJ," Peter smiled, then passed out.

* * *

Peter woke up in his own bed. Well not quiet his own bed. He was in his former room at the compound. The room was completely empty, but someone had put fresh sheets on the bed. Michelle was curled up next to Peter, fast asleep.

"You gave us quite a scare, kid."

Peter bolted upright at the sound of his father's voice.

"Easy," Tony chuckled. He was sitting in a chair off to the side, his feet propped up on the unused desk. "You've been out for about six hours. How are you feeling?"

Peter tossed the sheets to the side and looked down at his body, expecting to see the symbiote still there. It wasn't. Neither was his Spider-man costume. Someone had changed him into a t-shirt and sweat pants. "I'm...okay..." Peter rubbed his arms, the memory of the symbiote sliding across his skin to fresh in his mind. God, it had been _everywhere_. Every inch of his body. Inside and out. Peter shivered. His body hadn't felt like his own for a long time, but now it felt even less so.

Tony moved over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Peter, listen...I'm sorry. This is my fault. I should have never created that monster. I'm so, so sorry." He gave Peter the most sincere look he could muster. "And I'm sorry I wasn't able to separate you from it."

"It's okay," Peter shrugged. "I got rid of it."

"You got it off yourself," Tony corrected. "We got it back into a bottle before it could latch onto someone else. It's locked up in the lab right now."

"Oh."

"Did you know what it was?" Tony asked, "when you hid it in that Iron Man helmet, did you know?"

"I knew it was what Osborn wanted when he was using me to get to you." Peter shrugged again, "I actually never looked inside the box my mother gave me. I knew there was a weapon inside, but I didn't know it would be...sentient...or...yeah..." Peter pulled the sheets back over himself. Michelle grunted but stayed asleep.

"I'm sorry that this had to happen to you," Tony whispered.

"Stop apologizing. Starks don't apologize."

Tony snorted at that, "they do when it's aimed at another Stark."

"Where's everyone else? I didn't...hurt them...did I?"

"No, no, god, no. Everyone's just fine. Stevie has a few cuts, but that's it. You can see them in the morning. But you need some rest first." Tony ruffled Peter's hair. Venom might have healed Peter's wounds, but the mental exhaustion brought on by torture was still there. "I'll be right here if you need anything, okay Petey?"

Peter nodded and laid back down. Michelle was next to him. His father was watching over them. His family was no doubt close by. He was honestly expecting the Vision to float through the wall at any moment. Safe. Peter felt safe. Tony tucked the blankets around Peter and kissed his forehead before returning to his seat at the desk. Peter traced the scar on his forearm. "Dad?"

"Hm?"

"I want to get rid of the organic webbing."

"I know you do. But we still don't know how to remove them without damaging the tissue in your arms," Tony sighed.

"I know, I know, I just...I need these out of my body. I need to be able to control what happens to me. I want my body back to the way it was before."

Tony gave him a sad look. "I understand. I'll start looking into it later. For now, you need to sleep."

Peter hummed. He still had no idea how they were going to do it, but hearing Tony say he would work on it put Peter's mind at ease. "Okay, thanks, dad." Peter closed his eyes and drifted off.

* * *

"Where's your girlfriend?" Clint batted his eye lashes at Peter.

"College is a thing that exists," Peter said, flopping down on the couch next to his friend. Or weird uncle. Peter really wasn't sure what to make of his partner in pranks. The Avengers all claimed to be Peter's aunt or uncles, but Tony quickly shot those notions down, not liking how that implied that the Avengers were his siblings. Tony would rather set himself on fire then call Clint his brother. 

"So, I have a new idea for how to get even with Sam," Clint smirked.

"Even for what? What'd he do?" Peter blinked.

"Took the last poptart. Listen," Clint leaned forward, pulling a sheet of paper out of his pocket. He's really thought this one through. "We're gonna need some toiler paper, and Thor's hammer. Thor likes poptarts, so it shouldn't be too hard to get him on our side. Anyway, we also need some-"

"Hold that thought," Peter held up a finger. His phone was buzzing in his pocket. He slipped out of the room to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Pete."

"Harry?" Peter blinked.

"Yes, it's me. Usually, people check the caller ID before answering the phone," Harry Osborn laughed.

"Sorry, I still have your name set to 'James Franco' and I forgot who that was," Peter chuckled.

"Seriously? I do _not_ look like James Franco, you jerk. Change it."

"That would require me hanging up on you, so goodbye-"

"Hey, now!" Harry snapped.

Peter leaned against the wall, "so, what brings you to the telephone?"

"I haven't seen you in awhile. I wanted to hang out." Peter could picture the pout on his friend's face. "Are you free this weekend?"

"I am," Peter smiled. "What did you have in mind?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! I swear the next one will be hella long!
> 
> Let me know if you enjoyed, your comments keep me writing! :D


	25. The Press Conference

"WOHOOOO!!!!" Spider-man cried out in glee, letting himself free fall from a skyscraper. He caught himself on a web line at the last minute and flung himself back into the sky. He did a flip and continued the process of free falling and web slinging. It was a Saturday morning and not much was happening in Queens. Which Spidey was perfectly okay with. It'd been awhile since he'd been able to just web sling. He did another flip and landed gracefully on the sidewalk in front of Harry Osborn.

"Show off," Harry put his hands on his hips.

Spider-man slung an arm around his shoulders, "you're the one who wanted to see the new suit."

"Yeah, yeah. Get changed and let's go get lunch," Harry jabbed him in the side. Spider-man hurried off, returning as Peter Parker shortly after. The two men went to a sub shop a few blocks over. They had a fairly pleasant conversation until Harry brought up his father.

"Dad said you quit Oscorp," Harry said, looking a bit sad.

"Yeah, Tony really has his heart set on my taking over Stark Industries," Peter looked down at the half eaten sandwich in his hands. "We figured it would be best if I just started working for the company now." It wasn't a complete lie. Tony's intentions for the future of his company were clear. But Peter still hadn't taken him up on the job offer.

"Oh. Well, that makes sense. I was worried my old man chased you off," Harry chuckled.

"Not at all," Peter hummed. He wasn't about to tell Harry that Norman had held him for ransom and tortured him in the process. "Sorry, it didn't work out. I know how hard you worked to get me that job."

Harry shrugged, "sometimes things just don't work out, and that's okay. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Peter said before taking a large bite.

"What happened to the Hulk and Scarlet Witch?"

Peter froze, the food in his mouth suddenly tasting like sand. He forced himself to swallow it. "Why do you want to know?"

Harry shrugged, "well, every news outlet has a different story, and I've been trying to figure it out for awhile, and you seem like the person to ask. You did live with them for awhile."

Peter set his food down, covering it with a napkin to keep himself from vomiting. SHIELD had done a pretty good job of keeping the whole ordeal under wraps. The public knew that Scarlet Witch and the Hulk had gone rogue. They also knew about the battle at Midtown High. But that was it. No one knew the reasoning.

Harry kept talking, "a lot of people think they were kicked off the team because they were emotionally unstable. My dad thinks that the Avengers are at fault and that they should have tried harder to help their teammates."

"What do you think?" Peter's gaze met Harry's.

"I think Stark was telling the truth in his press conference," Harry said, briefly looking at the scars on Peter's forearms.

"Press conference?" Peter blinked. "What press conference?"

"You didn't know about that?" Harry was a bit shocked by that. Everyone knew about the press conference. Conspiracy theorists had picked apart every one of Stark's words, trying to figure out the truth behind them. Peter shook his head, so Harry explained. "It was more of a statement than a press conference. He didn't answer any questions. And it was just him talking for a solid half hour. It happened the day after Scarlet Witch was arrested. You seriously didn't know he did that?"

"No. I was a bit out of it for awhile after...everything. I guess he would've had to tell the public why two Avengers attacked Queens. What exactly did he say?" Peter was curious now.

"I can pull it up on my phone," Harry offered, already reaching into his pocket.

"How about you just send it to me? I'll watch it later." Peter said quickly. "Can we talk about something else, now?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Harry grinned and sent Peter a youtube video of the press conference. "So, how's Ned? Haven't seen him in awhile. Still obsessed with legos?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Peter chuckled, uncovering his sandwich.

* * *

  
Tony moved silently along the back wall of his lab. A man about Peter's age was rummaging through a set of drawers by a work bench. The man didn't find what he was looking for and started fumbling with the actual objects on the workbench. He had his back to Tony, allowing the older man to creep up behind him. Tony slipped a gauntlet on and aimed the repulsor at the back of his head. The man stilled at the sound of the repulsor powering up. "Lose something?"

The man slowly turned around. "Mr. Stark, I can explain-"

"Hands where I can see them, swiper," Tony ordered. The man held his hands above his head in surrender. "How did you get in here?"

"Peter let me in."

Tony jolted, "what the hell? Who are you?"

"Harry Osborn, sir. I'm a friend of your son's. We're making a drone, and Peter sent me in here to get a screwdriver," Harry said quickly, eyes blown wide with fear. "Please don't shoot me, Mr. Stark, that would really ruin my day-"

"Quiet, Osborn. Take the screwdriver and get out." Tony took the tool from the box on the floor and tossed it to Harry. Harry sprinted out of the lab without another word.

* * *

 

"Can you not threaten my friends? Jesus! And you wonder why I never invite people over," Peter had confronted Tony in the common area right before dinner.

"Oooooh," Clint was sitting backward on the couch, chin resting on the back. An all too familiar sly smile on his face.

Natasha tugged the back of his shirt, "don't get involved."

"I'm sorry, but there was a strange man in my lab. What was I supposed to do?" Tony threw his hands in the air. "I didn't know if he had bad intentions or not!"

"He's got a point," Natasha commented.

"Hey, you said not to get involved!" Clint gasped.

Natasha punched his shoulder, "I told _you_ not to get involved."

"Both of you, stay out of this," Tony pointed an accusing finger at the two spies.

"Is your friend staying for dinner, Peter?" Steve called from the kitchen area, where he and Sam were preparing a meal. "It's taco night. Plenty to go around."

"He already left," Peter reported. "Tony scared him half to death!"

"Not my fault!" Tony said.

"It's like 75% your fault," Peter retorted.

"65."

"Fine. Whatever. Just stop pointing weapons at my friends," Peter threw his hands in the air.

Steve chuckled at the two Starks, both upset and frantically waving their arms. He hummed to himself as he went about setting up the table.

"Why the hell are you friends with Osborn's kid anyway?" Tony asked suddenly.

All eyes fell on Peter.

"Osborn has a kid?" Steve didn't like the sound of that. "And you're friends with him? Osborn tortured you, Pete-"

"I'm well aware of that fact, thank you Captain Obvious." Peter crossed his arms over his chest. "But we've been friends since kindergarten."

"What?!" Tony was fuming, "you told me you didn't know Osborn's kid!"

"I lied!" Peter waved his arms again.

"Why?!"

"Because you blow everything out of proportion!"

"No, I don't!"

"Then what are you doing right now?!" Peter yelled.

Tony fell silent.

"I know he's your friend, but I don't think you should trust him, little spider," Natasha said softly.

"Harry's a good person. Wouldn't hurt a fly. Scared of his own shadow."

"I don't trust him," Natasha frowned.

"You haven't met him," Peter said.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to let him into the compound? Or Tony's lab? He could've stolen something and given it to his father." Natasha pointed out.

"Or planted a bomb that will kill us all in our sleep," Clint added.

"I repeat, Harry is not a bad person," Peter pulled at his hair. "He doesn't even know his dad is the Green Goblin."

 

"I believe we can trust Harry," the Vision phased through the far wall. He had done this so many times that it no longer surprised the Avengers. Except for Peter, who was nervous by nature, and nearly jumped onto the ceiling when the Vision made his presence known. "I met him as he was leaving. He does not appear to be a bad person."

"Wanda and Bruce didn't appear to be bad people," Natasha hissed. Peter bristled. "Sorry, little spider. Their names just slipped out," Natasha said quickly. "...point is, appearances mean little when it comes to trust-"

"I spoke with him in great detail for nearly half an hour. He was nothing but friendly and humble. I believe that he means no harm. Time will tell if I am wrong, but for now, I trust him," Vision explained.

"The robot has spoken," Sam chuckled. "I'm with him and the kid. I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt until he actually does something wrong. Peter, can you chop up a few onions for me? I forgot to do it earlier."

"You just don't want to do it yourself," Peter huffed as he pulled out a cutting board. "You and your sensitive eyes."

"You know me so well," Sam smirked.

* * *

Peter retreated to one of the couches after dinner, pulling up the video Harry had sent him on his phone. He stuffed his earbuds in and tucked his legs under him. Then he pressed play.

There were no other Avengers present in the video. Just Tony standing behind the podium. Happy stood off to the side, looking as serious as ever.

 _"I know you all have questions. Believe me, the Avengers have plenty of questions of their own about recent events."_   The way Tony spoke sent shivers down Peter's spine. He sounded like he was giving a speech at a funeral. The man clearly hadn't slept in awhile. There were dark circles under his eyes, and although his suit was as pristine as ever, his hair was a complete wreck. Tony paused and slipped on a pair of blue tinted shades. He cleared his throat and continued. " _I regret to inform you all that Doctor Banner and Ms. Maximoff will no longer be part of the Avengers. These...people...are unstable, and we would be putting the lives of civilians, as well as our own, at risk if we were to continue to allow them to operate as Avengers._ " Tony paused again, shuffling the cards in his hands.

 _"Mr. Stark, what did they do to deem them unstable?"_ A reporter called from off camera.

 _"No questions at this time, ma'am,"_ Happy barked.

The reporter ignored him. _"Aren't the Avengers like a family? Shouldn't you be trying to reform Banner and Maximoff? Families don't cast out their members-"_

 _"They do if it puts the other members at risk,"_ Tony growled. He took a deep breath and spoke again in a calmer tone, _"they hurt one of us. Severely. So severely that I fear they may never be the same again. I refuse to stand by and allow one of my own be abused."_

The audience exploded at Tony's word choice.

_"Abused? Can you elaborate on that, Mr. Stark?"_

_"No."_ Tony remained perfectly still. Happy moved forward, trying to subdue the crowd.

_"Who was abused?"_

_"Was it sexual?"_

_"What will happen to the victim? Will they remain an Avenger?"_

There were other questions, but those were the ones that stood out to Peter.

 _"NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME,"_ Happy roared. The crowd quieted after that. " _Mr. Stark,_ " Happy motioned for him to continue. Now that he was close to the camera, Peter could see the haunted look in Happy's eyes.

 _"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted,"_ Tony shot a glare in the direction of the first reporter who spoke. _"The Avengers will tolerate absolutely no acts of aggression among our ranks. Maximoff is currently in custody, but we are still searching for Doctor Banner. As joint leaders, Captain Rogers and I will-"_

Peter pulled one earbud out of his ear when he felt the presence of a person sitting next to him. "Hey, uncle Happy."

"Hey, kid," Happy gave him a small smile. "Sitting correctly on the sofa, huh? You're not sick are you?"

Peter just stuck out his tongue.

There was a long awkward silence before Happy spoke again. "How come you never call me anymore? I miss you telling me about churro ladies and star wars."

"You do?" Peter took the other earbud out. The video was still playing, but he paid it no mind. He tried to remember the last time he had given a report to happy. He realized his last one had been two years ago, a bit before the outed himself to the Avengers.

"I do," Happy hummed.

Peter dialed Happy's number on his phone and held it up to his ear, "hello? Happy, there's this weird guy sitting next to me, asking about churros. I think I'm gonna have to take him down."

"You little shit," Happy punched his shoulder playfully. "Seriously, though. I know it's not my job to keep tabs on you anymore, but you can still call me. If you want to just chat. That's fine. I'll listen."

Peter ended the call and tucked the phone into his back pocket. "Okay. I will."

"Good," Happy stood up. He patted down the front of his shirt, making sure he looked presentable. "I look forward to it." He gave Peter one last smile before wandering off.

Peter took the phone back out of his pocket. He skipped around the rest of Tony's speech. The rest wasn't all the interesting. Most of it was just a drawn out apology for destroying the city. Again. Peter scrolled through the related videos, wondering if any of the other Avengers had commented on the event. He clicked on one that showed a very upset Steve Rogers herding Tony Stark out of what looked like a bar. Tony had his back to the camera, but there was no mistaking that it was him. The date on the video showed that it was just one week after Wanda had been arrested.

" _Mr. Stark! Is it true that you have a son?_ " The person behind the camera yelled.

" _Fuck off! You-you, wet paper towels!_ " Tony slurred, throwing out one of his arms, clearly drunk off his ass.

Steve pushed Tony behind him, " _now is not the time. Please leave us alone._ "

" _Why keep your child a secret? Who is his mother?_ " Another voice said from off camera. More and more people were crowding around the couple. Steve looked like he was starting to panic. He whispered something to Tony, but Tony just shook his head and downed an entire glass of scotch.

" _Can't you people just let me drink in peace?_ " Tony slammed the glass on the bar. " _I wanna forget about shit. Let me drink._ "

" _Tony you can drink at home, let's go,_ " Steve hauled Tony off towards the exit.

" _Mr. Stark, you said someone on your team had been abused. Was it Spider-man?"_  The first voice spoke again. " _The wall crawler hasn't been spotted in Queens for quite some time. What happened to him_?"

" _Let's hope it was the little bastard. Spider-man_ _probably deserved whatever happened to him. You've all read the papers. Guy's a menace_." A new voice called from across the bar. _"I hope those rogue Avengers put him in his place!"_

Tony broke free of Steve's hold and lunged across the bar, tackling the man who had spoken. The bar erupted into screams as Tony beat the ever loving shit out of the man.

 _"TONY, NO!"_ Steve ripped his boyfriend off the man, forcibly dragging him to the exit. The look on Tony's face was one of pure rage. He had blood dripping from his knuckles.

 _"He didn't deserve it! He didn't deserve any of it!"_ Tony screamed, tears streaming down his face. " _NONE OF IT! NONE OF IT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED!!"_ The video cut off right before Tony was removed from the bar.

Peter watched the entire video in shock. He glanced over at the kitchen island, where most of the Avengers were still gather. Tony and Sam were laughing at something Rhodey had said. Steve noticed Peter looking at them and motioned for him to come over. Peter shook his head and turned his attention back to his phone. He went from video to video, finding more bar fights Tony had been in, and more press statements given by various members of the team. Peter had been completely oblivious to all of it at the time.

_"Is it true that Spider-man was the one abused?"_

_"Please don't use that word."_ This was the only video he had found with Natasha in it. 

 _"So he was not abused?"_ The person behind the camera had cornered Natasha in a convenience store. There didn't appear to be anyone around them.

_"No, he was. Tortured is the word you are looking for. Abused isn't quite...."_

The person gasped, _"so it was him!"_

 _"I don't see why this is any of your business,"_ Natasha hissed.

_"This is the biggest scandal in history. People want to know-"_

_"It's none of their business."_ Natasha shouldered past the person.

_"What exactly happened? Will Spider-man recover?"_

" _We are all recovering from what happened. It's rude to keep asking us these questions. Let us be."_ Natasha made a grab for the camera, but the person jumped back. _"What happened to Spider-man was awful. And It's not my place to tell his story."_

"Bug boy!" Sam hit Peter over the head with a rolled up newspaper, "jeez."

"What?!" Peter covered the screen with one hand.

"We're going out for ice cream. Get your shoes. Or don't. I don't care. But we're getting ice cream." Sam announced before marching over to where the rest of the team was waiting in the doorway.

"Okay!" Peter's spirits were lifted at the mere thought of ice cream. He switched off his phone and hurried over to his family. Tony smiled brightly at his son and slung an arm around his shoulders.

* * *

**Meanwhile, at Oscorp**

"Blast!" Norman knocked everything off his desk with one sweeping motion of his arm.

"Sir, please calm down," a man in a lab coat tried to reason with the upset scientist.

"I am calm!" Norman roared. "Fix the damn thing!"

"I-I don't know how, if, um...sir, please don't look at me like that," Norman's assistant shied away from his glare. "We don't know for sure why the symbiote won't bond with you. It must have something to do with Parker's blood-"

"Then get me his blood!"

"No, sir, you don't understand, your biology doesn't match up with his. So it's possible that the symbiote just won't-"

"I don't want your theories. I want real answers. Find me Banner."

"The...Hulk, sir?"

"No, you daft creature! The scientist behind the beast! He'll know what to do." Osborn moved over to the window, glaring at the city below. "He knows Spider-man's biology better than anyone. He also knows about Venom. He can help me alter the symbiote to fit my needs."

"Sir, the hulk-"

"Doctor Banner," Osborn corrected him.

The assistant looked around nervously. "Sorry, Doctor Banner has been at large for years. The Avengers, SHIELD, the FBI, no one has been able to find him-"

"You don't work for any of those people. You work for me. As my personal assistant, I trust that you will get the job done. You have one week. Start searching," Osborn snarled. "Leave the symbiote with me."

"Y-yes, sir." The assistant set the vial of black liquid on the desk and scampered out of the room.

* * *

**Meanwhile, The Raft**

The lights flickered as Bruce Banner made his way down the long hallway. It was raining outside, but no sound penetrated the thick walls of the maximum security prison. None of the guards paid him any mind as he walked by. He wore their uniform in order to avoid suspicion. Stole from some poor fellow who had been on his dinner break. Someone named 'Mark' according to the name tag. Bruce kept his head down. His cap cast a dark shadow on his face.

Bruce halted outside one of the cells. "Hello, my dear."

"What are you doing here, Banner?" The cell lights were off, a small figure huddled in the back corner behind the cot.

"I'm here for you. You didn't think I'd just abandon you, did you?"

"Of course not. I just hoped it wouldn't have taken you two years to do something about this. The food here is awful," Wanda Maximoff rose to her feet and moved closer to Bruce. "How do you plan on getting me out?"

"Oh, I'm not getting you out. The other guy is," Bruce took off his glasses, his eyes already green. "I suggest you stand back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're reaching the bitter end, ya'll. Hold on to your butts.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Let me know if you enjoyed, your comments keep me writing!


	26. Family Bonding and Almost Dying

"So, like, this dog was huge. I mean HUGE," Spider-man rambled into his phone as he lounged on a fire escape, waving his hands for emphasis even though the person on the other end of the line couldn't see it. "And like, it came out of nowhere and just stole my entire hot dog!"

"Shouldn't leave your food lying around then," Happy chuckled.

Spider-man held his phone between his shoulder and ear, freeing his hands so he could mess with his left boot. "I'll consider it. Anyway, I guess I should give you my actual report for the day."

"I'm all ears."

"Stopped a bike theft. Helped an old woman across the street. Um...let's see. Oh! I got involved in a high-speed police chase again. Almost got shot. Clipped my shoulder. That was fun-are you okay?" Peter cut himself off when he heard Happy make a choking noise.

"I'm fine. You have a strange definition of 'fun'." Peter could picture Happy shaking his head in frustration. "Try harder not to get shot next time. I don't want to see you in a hospital bed ever again. You hear me?"

"Yes, uncle Happy."

"Told you not to call me that. Do you ever listen to anything I say?" happy groaned.

"No, uncle Happy," Peter was grinning ear to ear.

"Why do I even bother?" Happy sighed. "Anything else happen that I should know about?"

"A bird shit on me this morning," Peter shifted his phone to the other ear and went about messing with his web shooter. The actual web spinners in his arms ached from disuse, but he ignored it.

"You deserved that."

"I hope a bird shits on you, too. Then you'll know my pain."

Happy laughed, "you have the worst luck, I swear. Shat on by a bird, got your hot dog stolen, and shot all in one day. Jeez. Huh? No, Tony, he did not actually get shot...yes, Tony, he's fine. No, you can't talk to him, we're having a conversation about shit. Very, very, serious shit."

Peter giggled.

"Okay, fine. The old man wants to talk to you, kid." The speaker was muffled as the phone was passed to Tony.

"Hey, kiddo. You're not bleeding out in a dumpster are you?" Tony sounded tired.

"No. Call back in a few hours and ask again."

"Please don't joke about that," Tony said.

"Sorry. Is that all you wanted to ask?" Peter accidentally shot a web while he was fiddling with the shooter. He ducked when the web ball ricocheted back at him.

"No. We have a situation, Peter." Tony's voice became grim. Peter could hear other voices in the background. His enhanced hearing picked out Clint, Thor, and Rhodey. Possibly Sam as well.

"Am I needed back at the compound?" Peter frowned. A horrible feeling of dread bubbled up deep inside him.

"There was a breakout at the Raft. Scarlet Witch has escaped." Tony said with absolutely no emotion. The background voices fell silent.

"I'll be there soon." Peter stood on the railing, about to web sling off.

"Hurry. If you're not here in two hours, we're coming to get you." With that, Tony hung up. It took exactly two hours to reach the compound. That didn't leave much wiggle room. Peter pocketed his phone, made sure his mask was secure and started web slinging.

* * *

Peter made it back to the facility with only five minutes to spare. He went straight to the lab, not bothering to speak to anyone. Clint tried to talk to him but shied away when Peter gave him a death glare. Tony followed his son, speaking up when it was clear Peter wasn't going to do so. "Everyone's waiting in the conference room. We need to form a plan."

"I have a plan," Peter pulled up the schematics for the Iron Spider on one of the computers. "How quickly can we rebuild this?"

"From scratch?" Tony blinked. "It took me a few days to put the original together after I finished the design."

"Well, now you have me to help you. Do we have all the materials?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Tony smirked, already moving around the lab to collect what they needed.

Peter took off his mask and tossed it aside. "FRIDAY, turn on the coffee maker. This is going to be a long night."

Tony stopped in his tracks, "you want to make the entire thing tonight? Seriously?"

"Wanda knows where the compound is. She could attack at any minute. This," Peter pointed at the schematics, "is getting done by morning. You don't have to stay and help the whole time. I can do this," he quickly added.

Tony shook his head. "You won't get this done in time without help. I'll gather the supplies. You can start with getting Karen back online. FRIDAY, tell the team Peter and I are busy. Cap can figure out a plan without us."

* * *

Sunlight filtered in through the blinds of the work shop. Tony stumbled over to the couch, in desperate need of sleep. His eyes were barely open and he was finding his way to the couch through touch.

The Iron Spider still lacked its extra arms, instant kill mode, and a variety of other features. But it was as done as it was going to get at this point in time. Tony would get back to it right after a few minutes of shut eye. He wondered where Peter had gone off to. The teen had disappeared half an hour ago. Tony got his answer when he collapsed on the couch, the person already lying on it letting out a screech.

"Oh, hey, Pete, didn't see you there." Tony rolled onto the floor. He hit the ground with the thud and made no move to get back up.

Peter grumbled something and hit Tony in the face with one of the couch pillows.

"Asshole," Tony stuck the pillow behind his head. Peter grumbled something else and turned his back to Tony.

* * *

"Well?" Osborn sat back in his chair. Wanda and Bruce sat in the plush chairs opposite his desk. Bruce was turning the vial containing Venom over in his hands, examining it closely. The office was deathly silent, other than the loud ticking of a wall clock.

"I can alter it to accept your biology. Shouldn't be too difficult. But I want something in return." Bruce set the vial down and looked up at Osborn.

Osborn nodded once. "Of course. What does your heart desire, Doctor Banner?"

"Spider-man."

Osborn frowned, "that's a difficult request. I left the wall crawler in the care of Kraven the Hunter. And he won't give up his prey without a fight."

"We want Spider-man. If you can't provide, then we have no further business here," Wanda stood up to leave. Bruce glanced at her but remained sitting. He wasn't going to leave until he got what he wanted.

Osborn nodded, "I assume you want Spider-man so that you can get even?"

"Get even?" Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"He's the reason you were kicked off the Avengers, wasn't he?" Osborn guessed. "I can have him killed much easier than it would be for me to bring him to you alive."

"No, I need him alive. I don't want to 'get even'. You see, I've been using his body to carry out some scientific exploration for a number of years. I would like to continue my experiments," Bruce explained, his expression calm as ever.

"I understand," Osborn held out his hand for Bruce to shake. "I'll get him for you, you have my word."

Bruce shook Osborn's hand. "Thank you. Glad to do business with you again, Osborn. I'll start work on the symbiote right away."

* * *

Tony woke up several hours later, which pissed him off because he only meant to sleep for twenty minutes. Maybe thirty. He stood and stretched, mentally cycling through the list of what still needed to be done. He looked down at Peter, who was still fast asleep. Tony sighed and tucked a blanket around the kid.

"Boss!" FRIDAY called urgently.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Banner and Maximoff are at Oscorp." The AI reported. Tony still had access to the security cameras at Oscorp after hacking into them a few days ago, and he had asked FRIDAY to keep an eye on them.

"Shit. Get my suit ready. The Mark XLVII, please." Tony moved towards the center of the room and held his arms out, allowing the armor pieces flying towards him to seamlessly come together around his body. "Let's finish this." Tony shot up through the skylight. He was only flying for a few moments before he noticed a bit of drag on his suit. Looking back, he saw Spider-man trailing behind him, hanging on to a web that was attached to Iron Man's leg. "Morning, webhead. That suit isn't finished."

"It'll have to do," Spider-man said over the comms, quickly scrambling up his web and crawling onto Tony's back. "What are they doing at Oscorp?"

"We're about to find out," Iron Man climbed higher into the sky before blasting off as fast as he could without endangering his passenger.

* * *

"You're awful quiet back there," Iron Man swiveled his head to look at the arachnid adhering to his back. The thin layer of armor gleamed in the setting sunlight.

"Lot on my mind," Spider-man shifted around, lowering his head and bunching up his shoulders.

"What were you talking to Happy about yesterday?" Tony asked, not liking the silence.

"Just giving him my report. And telling him about how I got shit on by a bird. Hey! Stop laughing!"

"Sorry, that's just too good," Tony snickered. "How's Karen?"

"She's good. Says she missed us."

"How sweet. Jesus Christ!" Tony nearly had a heart attack when Peter let go of him. The teen free fell for a moment before catching himself on a web. "Don't do that!"

"Too late!" Spider-man chirped over the comms. His spider sense pricked at the same time as Iron Man's sensors pinged. "Incoming!"

"I know," Iron Man righted himself and hovered in place, facing the incoming projectile. Spider-man attached himself to the side of a building.

The projectile turned out to be a person. A very goblin like person.

"Osborn," Spider-man snarled, web slinging towards him.

"Should we try talking to him, first?" Tony asked, flying along next to his son.

"Since when do you ever want to talk to people before throwing punches? I'm gonna beat him up, then we can ask questions about Bruce and Wanda."

Tony shrugged, "fair enough. Give him hell."

"Will do," Spider-man's lenses narrowed.

"I'm calling for backup," Iron Man announced.

"We won't need it," Spider-man retorted. "I can take him down on my own."

Iron Man called for backup anyway but didn't tell Spider-man.

The Wall Crawler and the Goblin clashed without mercy. Iron Man hung back at first, simply watching as the two men battled above the city. He didn't get involved until they crashed into the top level of a parking garage. The duo quickly recovered from the initial shock of hitting the pavement and flipped back onto their feet. Green Goblin darted forward, while Spider-man took an offensive stance, knelt down with one fist behind him and one wrist bared and ready to fire a web. Iron Man swooped in and knocked the Goblin to the ground. Osborn's glider restarted itself and tried to impale Iron Man in the back. The glider pierced the outer layer of the armor but didn't get much further. Tony merely grunted and tossed the offending object to the side. Meanwhile, Osborn was taking a pumpkin bomb out of his satchel. Spider-man webbed it to his hand before he could throw it.

"You idiot!" Osborn cried out, having already pressed the detonation button.

**BOOM**

All three men were blasted in different directions. Iron Man crashed into a car, setting off the alarm and leaving a sizable dent.

He groaned and shook his head. "FRIDAY..."

"No injuries, boss." The AI reported.

"Great, good," Tony remained in the indented car, slowly scanning the area, which was covered in a thick cloud of green smoke. "What is this stuff?" The armor automatically filtered out any harmful fumes.

"Colored smoke. Harmless," FRIDAY chirped.

"Osborn, you over dramatic piece of...oh no..." Tony froze. The smoke cloud was slowly lifting, revealing Spider-man's unmoving form. He lay on his side, his back to Tony. Tony was at his side in a flash, gingerly turning the young hero onto his back. "Kid? Can you hear me? Spider-man!!"

"Ow. Stop yelling." The eye pieces on Spider-man's mask enlarged and narrowed a few times before settling on their resting size. "Did we get him?"

"I don't think so. Get up, kid," Iron Man took a battle stance, as did Peter.

Osborn lumbered out of the smoke, blood dripping from what was left of his mangled hand. "You'll pay for this, Spider-man..."

"Maybe you shouldn't handle explosives with your bare hands?" Spider-man shrugged. Osborn was reaching for another bomb. Spider-man ran forward to stop him and once again the two became locked in battle.

Iron Man hung back, knowing Peter didn't need-or want-help with this fight.

"Boss, I'm picking up a human heat signature from the building across the street. As well as an unusually high level of gamma radiation," FRIDAY reported.

"Banner." Tony hissed, igniting his jet boots.

"He's here?! Where?!" Spider-man yelled over the comms.

"Focus on the Goblin. I'll take down Banner," Tony snapped.

"But-"

"No buts. I'm not letting that son of a bitch anywhere near you ever again." Iron Man blasted off, leaving no room to argue. "Excuse me while I rip out his throat." He crashed through the nearest window of the building, making a bee line for Banner's the heat signature. The image on his HUD suddenly disappeared. "FRIDAY?"

"All systems normal, boss. But I can't detect any human heat signatures."

Tony burst into the room that the heat signature had been in, but it was empty. "What about the Hulk?"

"You'd hear him if he were here," FRIDAY pointed out.

"Right." Tony cut off the jets, landing with a heavy thud. "Alright, Brucy, come on out and let's have a chat."

"Will there be beer involved? I miss chatting with you over a bottle or two." Bruce's voice came through the comms. If Spider-man heard him, he didn't say so.

"I don't think I'll be buying you a beer again anytime soon," Tony moved cautiously through the halls.

"Pity. I do miss you. You and the team. I have such fond memories of our little dysfunctional family."

"Excuse you, that's my family. Not yours. You lost the right to call them that when you hurt Peter." Tony held up one repulsor, illuminating the hallway.

"Ah, Peter. Such a bright young man. I miss him the most. He didn't treat me like a nuclear meltdown waiting to happen. And we had so many fun conversations about science. I didn't expect to care for the kid as much as I did. I don't think any of the Avengers did. Funny how things turn out."

"Yeah... _funny,"_ Tony growled. "If you liked him so much, then why did you experiment on him?" He struggled to keep his voice level. "The kid looked up to you, Bruce. Why did you do it?"

"My experiments started before I got to know Peter. He's a good kid, and I understand your attachment to him. But at the end of the day, he's still my lab rat. And he will continue to be until I've completed my research." Bruce said, his voice monotone.

"Completed? What exactly are you hoping to accomplish with all this?" 

"Don't worry about it, Stark. It doesn't concern you." There was another noise mixed in with Bruce's voice. It sounded like he was typing. "You've put a lot of effort into keeping Peter safe. You've done a terrible job of it, but you _are_ Tony Stark, so that was to be expected. I'll return Peter's body to you when I'm done with it. Let you bury him with his real parents. Least I can do."

"You're sick, Banner."

"Am I?"

"Yes. This isn't a debate. You're fucked up and I'm going to kill you. Slowly. And painfully."

"You can try. Bruce Banner, sure, maybe you can stop him. But the Hulk? Buddy, I got news for you-"

"And I have some news of my own: these are your last minutes on earth. So you better man up and show yourself." Tony kicked open a door. The room was empty. He did the same with the next few rooms. No one.

"I think not, Stark."

"Scared?"

"No. Just smart enough to know when to pick my fights," Bruce hummed. "I'm a wanted man. I don't want the police showing up here."

"Why didn't you say so? FRIDAY, be a dear and call the police, would you?" Silence. "FRIDAY?" Tony stopped in his tracks. Dread welled up in the pit of his stomach. "Spider-man? Are you there?"

"Just you and me, old friend," Bruce said.

"You need to stop messing with my suit. It's getting annoying," Iron Man flew back the way he had come. He wouldn't find Bruce at this rate, and he didn't want to be separated from Peter for too long. The kid could obviously hold his own against Osborn, but Tony was still a concerned dad.

"TONY?!" The comms came back online the moment Tony left the building, and Spider-man's panicked call was the first thing he heard.

"What's wrong?!" Tony asked, fearing the worst. He looked across the street to see Spider-man and Osborn still fighting. Spider-man was still in one piece, so that was good.

"Karen said FRIDAY went offline, what happened? Are you okay?" Spider-man looked up as Tony made his way over to them. The split second of distraction was just enough for Osborn to punch Spider-man in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Iron Man slammed down behind Osborn, cracking the concrete. He slowly rose from the crouch he landed in, blue eyes blazing. "Stop playing with your food, Spider-man. Let's finish this-the hell?" Tony had started to pull back his arm for a punch, but the armor clamped up. Osborn raised an eyebrow at the now frozen Iron Man. He turned his attention back to Peter, who was already back on his feet. The HUD in Iron Man's helmet suddenly went dark. It started up again a moment later. The soft blues of the various readings had been replaced with red. "No, no, no, not again. Don't do this, Bruce!"

"Ready for round two, Stark?" Bruce sneered. Tony tried to move but the suit didn't obey him. Instead, it's targeting system locked onto Spider-man. His fist uncurled, the repulsor taking aim.

"No thank you! Activate Not Today Protocol, Codeword Clint's Hearing Aid 409 AA 7-04!"

"What are you-?!" Bruce gasped right before the HUD went dark once more and the suit powered down completely, falling to pieces at Tony's feet.

"Really think I wouldn't have a failsafe in case someone tried that again, motherfucker?" Tony muttered as he took cover behind a car. He put two fingers to the comm in his ear. "Iron Man has been compromised. I still have one gauntlet. But otherwise, you're on your own." Tony typed a command into his watch and yanked it towards his fingers. The watched folded out, forming a metal glove around his hand.

"That's okay, I got this!" Spider-man answered. "Oh shit, maybe not..."

Tony peered up over the hood. A split second later, there was a second explosion and a blinding white light engulfed his vision. He felt himself being thrown back but was only vaguely aware of hitting the ground. He blinked several times, trying to get his vision back. When it did come back, he was met with the smiling face of the Green Goblin. Half of his body had been fried in the explosion. He held a piece of shrapnel in his uninjured hand. Tony scrambled back, looking around wildly for his son. Osborn stomped his boot on Tony's chest before he could get very far. Tony fumbled with his gauntlet, but his eye sight was still blurry and...where there three goblins standing over him? Focus! Tony shook his head and fired a shot. It missed completely and Osborn laughed and held down his arm with his other foot. Tony gasped in discomfort when all of Osborn's weight was put on him. Osborn leaned down, and Tony looked away, not liking the Goblin's face being so close to his own.

"You're right, Stark. This has gone on long enough. I got rid of that bug already," Osborn motioned vaguely behind him. The color drained from Tony's face. He must have misheard Osborn. Peter was fine. He was wearing the Iron Spider. He was just fine. Right? Osborn continued, "now it's your turn." He held the shrapnel out, about to slice open Tony's throat.

Spider-man came out of nowhere and threw his entire body against Osborn, forcing him off from Tony. He had put a bit too much force in the shove, which ultimately led to Osborn falling off the edge of the parking garage. "NO!" Spider-man shot a web at the goblin. He hated Osborn with his guts, but he didn't want the man to die. Peter didn't want anyone to d-

**_SNAP_ **

Time froze. Spider-man could do nothing but stare at the body in horror. The web had caught Osborn to high up on his chest, the whiplash breaking his neck. "Oh...oh no..." Someone was speaking to him, but he couldn't comprehend what they were saying. Osborn's body swayed in the wind.

"Spider-man! Spider-man, answer me damnit!" Steve yelled over the comms. The quinjet was quickly approaching their location. "We saw the explosion. What's going on down there?"

"I killed him..." Peter choked out.

"You what?!" Steve gasped.

"I killed him. I killed Osborn. It was an accident, it...I...he..." Peter's lower lip trembled, and he felt tears pricking his eyes. "He was gonna kill Tony, I wasn't thinking...it was an accident..."

"Stay where you are, kid." Sam was speaking now, his voice calm. "We see you. Just stay where you are."

* * *

Wanda muted the TV and set the remote aside. The tail end of the battle had been broadcasted on all the major news networks. "Guess that's that. What now?" She looked over her shoulder at her teammate, who stood right behind the couch.

Bruce didn't answer, staring at Osborn's lifeless body, hanging by a thread on the screen. The Avengers had just arrived, the Quinjet landing on top of the garage. Spider-man pulled the corpse up, and the camera switched from ground level to up above. Police officers came charging out on the top level of the parking garage.

"Bruce?"

"The symbiote belongs to us now," Bruce said.

"And Spider-man?" Wanda looked back at the screen. There was an argument going on between Captain America and what must have been the police chief. Tony had positioned himself between the police and Spider-man and wouldn't let anyone get close. The camera zoomed in on the wall crawler, who was shaking badly and had one hand latched onto Tony's sleeve. 

"We'll get him. One way or another."

On screen, the two groups seemed to have come to some sort of agreement. The camera panned out to show the police were backing off. The paramedics who had just arrived went about tending to the deceased. Captain America pulled Spider-man aside and spoke to him for a solid minute before the arachnid retreated to the Quinjet.

"Let's pay the Avengers a visit," Bruce decided, a slight smile on his face. "I wonder how much the compound has changed in the past two years."

"Right now? Let me find my shoes," Wanda's eyes flashed red. Energy was already gathered around her finger tips, eager to let loose after being contained for so long.

Bruce shook his head. "No. Everyone with the exception of Peter and Tony is ready to fight, and they're going to keep their guards up for quite awhile. We'll have to wait for the perfect moment to strike."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After including Happy in the last chapter I realized I've been neglecting his character for like...the entire story. Oops. So I tried to include him a bit more in this chapter. Hopefully, I won't forget him in future chapters. I have a lot of characters to keep track of...
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and let me know if you enjoyed! :)  
> Your comments keep me writing!


	27. Happy Birthday, Petey

"Absolutely not." Tony crossed his arms over his chest. Peter stood before him, the Iron Spider suit and his regular costume folded neatly in his arms. "Those are yours. Keep them."

Peter put the suits on the table. "I killed someone. I don't deserve them."

"It was an accident, Peter. It wasn't your fault." Tony sighed. "It's my fault. I should've been more careful. I shouldn't have put you in that situation."

Peter shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm the one who killed him. This is my burden to bear. Not yours."

There was a long moment of silence as the two men simply stared at each other. Peter's eyes were red from crying. Tony's heart ached. It was all Tony's fault, and he knew it. Every single awful thing that had happened in the last five years was because Tony wasn't careful. Wasn't paying enough attention. Wasn't fast enough.

"The world still needs Spider-man." Tony tried to pass the suits back to his son, but Peter refused to touch them.

"You're right. The world does need Spider-man. Not Peter Parker, though. Someone else should take a turn web slinging. I'm done." Peter turned on heel and left the lab. Steve walked in right as Peter left, the two nodded at each other but said nothing.

"He says he's done being Spider-man," Tony reported, a lump forming in his throat. Steve watched sadly as Tony smoothed out the spider emblem on one of the suits.

"He'll change his mind."

"He won't." Tony glared at the ground.

"Yes, he will," Steve assured him.

"How can you be so sure?" Tony looked up at his lover.

Steve took a deep breath and pulled a stool over to sit next to Tony. "Because Spider-man is a part of Peter. He can't just walk away from it, no matter how much he wants to. Peter won't be able to turn a blind eye to all the bad things in this world. He cares too much. Has to strong of a need to help those less fortunate. We'll have to give him some time, but he will come around."

Tony nodded, knowing Steve was right, but also knowing that this was the first time Peter had ever gotten blood on his hands. The past week the teen had been walking around the compound like a ghost, not speaking and hardly eating or sleeping. What if he didn't come back from this. Tony fiddled with a loose string on his jeans. "You know...sometimes, I think about what it would be like if I never recruited Peter. Never took him to Berlin to fight. If I had just let him be."

Steve put a hand on Tony's arm, not saying a word.

"When I first saw Peter it was at his parents funeral. I told myself back then that I would never get involved in his life. I wasn't able to keep that promise. I should've just let him be. Then none of this would have happened." Tony's voice cracked on the last word.

Steve stiffened. "If you had let him be, then who would've taken him in when his aunt was killed? If he lived that long. The suit you made him has saved his life on many occasions."

Tony shook his head, "he would've been just fine. Someone else would've adopted him. He would've had a normal life."

"No. Bruce would've gotten to him quicker. God knows what would've happened at that point...Tony. Tony, look at me." Steve gently turned Tony's head in his direction. "Peter's almost twenty. If you hadn't have found him, he might not have lived to see sixteen. And you damn well know it. Peter's in a bad place right now. But it'll get better. He'll heal just like he always does, and he'll move on. None of this is your fault, Tony. Don't you dare regret your actions."

Tony pulled away. "I regret not doing more."

* * *

  
Ned and Peter sat next to each other on the couch back at Peter's apartment. The only sound in the room came from the steady ticking of the wall clock, and the scratch of a pencil on paper.

"Pete..."

"Don't. Just don't," Peter put his head in his hands. He had finally gone back home after spending the week wandering the compound, not sure what to do with himself. Michelle had called Ned the moment Peter got him, his old school friend hurrying right over. They had both seen the news. Everyone saw the news. For once, the media wasn't against Spider-man and didn't blame him for the death of the Goblin, arguing that is was in defense of a teammate. But Peter still blamed himself.

The doorbell rang.

"I got it," Michelle set her sketchbook aside and moved across the room. She returned a moment later with Harry at her side. Peter jumped to his feet. His friend looked so...broken. Peter opened his mouth, but couldn't find the right words to say.

"Why did you do it?" Harry looked over at Peter with puffy eyes. "Why did you kill him?"

"Harry...I'm sorry, it was an accident, I didn't..." Harry took a step towards Peter, causing the shorter man to step back. The expression on Harry's face was dark. Cold. Angry. Peter had never seen him like this. "It was an accident. He was gonna kill my dad, I didn't-"

"So you murdered mine," Harry growled.

"It was an accident, Harry. I didn't want to kill him."

"Didn't look like an accident." Harry backed Peter into a wall. Cold metal was jammed under his chin. "My dad was right about you people. Nothing but a rag tag group of murderers who only care about themselves."

Ned was on his feet, full of panic. "Put the gun down, Harry!"

"H-Harry, please..." Peter stammered, his spider sense was screaming at him. His hand ghosted over the panic button in his pocket. No. He had to fix this himself. He held up both hands in surrender. "I don't want to fight you. Please put the gun down."

"He might not have been the nicest person in the world, but he was the only family I had, Parker."

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Harry." Peter looked him dead in the eye, willing his voice to remain even as he spoke.

"No, you're not." The gun was pressed harder into his jaw. Peter gulped.

"Harry, don't do this!" Ned was frozen in place, scared that Peter would be shot if he took one step closer.

"Back off, Osborn!" Michelle rammed her own gun into the back of Harry's head.

A deep growl rumbled in Harry's throat. He didn't let go of the gun, eyes boring into Peter's. "I'm sorry. I so, so sorry, Harry." Peter whispered. "Do what you have to do."

"No, don't fucking do it, man!" Ned yelled.

"Osborn..." Michelle warned, pressing her gun harder against his skull.

For a long minute, no one moved. Slowly, Harry lowered his gun. "I can't do it. I can't shoot you, Pete." He dropped the gun on the carpet. Michelle snatched it up while keeping her own trained on Harry. "You were a good friend," Harry continued. "And I'm sorry our friendship had to end this way." He left the apartment right after that, closing the door softly behind him.

"Are you okay, Peter?" Michelle looked back at her boyfriend, but he was gone. "Peter?" She looked at Ned for help, but he just shrugged.

* * *

Spider-man sat back on his haunches, adjusting the goggles on his homemade costume. A costume he hadn't worn since his battle against the Vulture. Peter had meant what he said about giving up being Spider-man. He wasn't planning on going on patrol that night, but he needed to clear his head and web slinging was the only way to do it.

As he swung across the city, images of Harry's face flashed before his eyes. The expression of pure hatred that he had directed at Peter. Spider-man shuddered. Back in school, he and Harry hadn't been as close of friends as him and Ned, but they were still close. And Peter had killed his father. A fantastic way to destroy a friendship. And to destroy someone's life.

Spider-man landed on a fire escape, wondering what he would've done if Tony had been the one who died that night. Would Peter have gone after Harry, looking for some kind of revenge? No. If the Goblin had killed Tony, then Peter probably would have lost it, striking down Norman Osborn where he stood. Spider-man hung his head. Now all Peter could think about was what would've happened if Tony was killed. Peter would be completely and utterly destroyed.

And that was how Harry was feeling right now.

Peter wanted to make things right. But he knew that there just wasn't any way to do that. No amount of revenge could help Harry feel better. Peter knew that from his experience of losing uncle Ben. And there was no definite number of "I'm sorries" that could be said to make the pain go away.

Spider-man was pulled out of his thought by the sound of glass shattering, shortly followed by an alarm. Spidey stayed where he was, not wanting to get involved. But then someone started screaming for help, and Peter wasn't able to sit back any longer.

Peter hadn't meant to patrol that night. He really hadn't. And yet, here he was. Patrolling.

Spider-man stayed out all night, web slinging and doing what he could to help the people of Queens. His homemade costume caused people to not take him as seriously, but he still got the job done.

It was around six am when Spider-man took a break, sitting down on the sidewalk with his feet in the gutter. He was exhausted and didn't care that he was resting at street level. Peter hadn't brought his phone with him, but he could picture the countless worried texts Michelle and Ned were sending him.

"I'm guessing it's laundry day," a masculine voice chuckled.

Peter squinted his lenses at a kind faced old man that had taken a seat next to him. "Huh?"

"Your costume. Laundry day?" The man pointed at Peter's hoodie. "Or are you just some weirdo in a half-assed Spider-man costume?"

"No, I'm the real deal," Peter chuckled. "And yeah, I guess you could say today's laundry day."

"Wow. Real deal. Huh." The man leaned back on his hands. "Funny. Lived in new york all my life, but I never met an Avenger in person. Until now."

Peter nodded, fumbling with the laces of his left boot.

"You know, you don't see much of the Avengers nowadays."

"Yeah, hasn't really been any major world ending threats to take care of recently. Which I suppose is a good thing. Although I feel kinda cheated. I was hoping I could punch an alien or two if I joined the Avengers." Peter grinned even though the older man couldn't see it.

The man snorted. "Aliens. I punched a few of those. Back in...2012? 2009? Can't remember. But yeah. It happened."

"During the battle of New York?"

"Sure was," the man grinned. There was something about his smile that was familiar to Peter, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Let me buy you breakfast."

Peter's lenses widened. "Why?"

"As a thank you."

"What for?"

The man shrugged. "For being Spider-man? You've helped a lot of people, kid. Including myself."

Peter straightened up. "Have we met before?"

The man nodded. "Back when you first started this whole...yeah." He motioned vaguely to Peter. "You probably don't remember. It's fine though. I remember. And I want to buy you breakfast. C'mon!" He got to his feet and started walking. Peter followed close behind. They went to the nearest diner, and the man bought Peter a stack of pancakes, but only got coffee and a muffin for himself. Peter thanked the man profusely, but he just smiled and shook his head.

"What's your name?" Peter asked.

"Robert."

"It's nice to meet you, Robert." Peter rolled his mask up over his nose.

"Jeez, what happened to you?" Robert nearly choked on his coffee.

"Long story," Peter shrugged.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with the Hulk and Scarlet Witch?" Robert frowned.

"It does."

"Bastards," Robert took a long sip of his coffee. "I saw the whole thing go down on the news. The arrests and the press conferences. It was all a big mess. Everyone thought the Avengers was done for. Then you straight up disappeared for a few months. We all knew you were the one who got...hurt. By them. But no one wanted to admit it. No one wanted to admit that two of the Avengers had abused a kid."

Peter poked at his food with a fork. He really didn't want to have this conversation, but this man had just bought him breakfast, so he felt obligated to give the man the answers he wanted.

"Then I saw you swinging around Queens again last year, actin' like nothing happened. I was really glad you were alright. Queens needs you."

Peter nodded, "it's good to be back. I missed this borrow."

Robert glanced over at the TV. The news was still covering the Raft breakout from a week ago. The rogue Avenger on the loose was big news. Peter looked over his shoulder at the TV. There was no sound, but subtitles scrolled across the bottom of the screen.

 _"...have yet to issue a statement about the event. Do they even know what is going on, or are they too oblivious to the world?"_ The first newscaster spoke

 _"I'm sure the Avengers know and are working to bring their former teammates back into custody."_ The second newscaster responded. " _Tony Stark is scheduled to hold a press conference on the matter later today. We will find out more then. Now, joining us this morning is Mr. Jameson of the Daily Bugle. Well, Mr. Jameson? what do you have to say about-_ "

Peter shook his head and turned his attention back to his food. Robert was staring at him in concern. "What if they come for you?"

"There's no 'if'." Peter took a large bite of pancake, then continued, "they will come for me. And they will try to kill me. But I won't go down without a fight."

Robert nodded solemnly. "Glad to hear it. You fighting back. Not them coming after you, I mean."

Peter chuckled, "I know what you mean."

Robert looked down at his coffee for a moment, then back up at Peter. "You better fight like it's the last good fight you'll ever fight. Because if you die, you can bet your ass all of Queens will rise up to Avenge you."

"That's a little over dramatic."

"It's true though." A woman sitting directly behind Robert twisted around to smile at Spider-man.

"We got your back, Spidey," The person sitting across from the woman gave him a thumbs up.

Peter felt his face flush, and he tugged his hood down to his goggles. He didn't know what exactly he did to deserve the loyalty of the citizens of Queens. The media did nothing but slander his name and spread rumors about his relationship with the Avengers. But that didn't seem to phase the people he swore to protect.

The woman turned back around and Robert and Peter went back to chatting among themselves. Thankfully, Robert had decided to change the subject to sports, much to Peter's relief. They continued chatting long after they finished their meals. The parted ways later that morning, and Peter returned to his apartment.

Michelle and Ned had worried themselves sick trying to get ahold of him all night, and practically attacked him the moment he snuck through the bedroom window. The three ended up falling asleep on the bed in a massive heap of limbs and awkward cuddling.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

"I liked your old suit better," a man commented, looking Spider-man up and down. Spider-man was patrolling during the day and had stopped at a hot dog stand for lunch. He still hadn't found a new job, so he had to do something with all his free time. Maybe he should take up Tony's offer and start working for Stark Industries? Tony would give him a high ranking position right off the bat, and the money was very tempting. "This new costume looks like shit." The hot dog stand owner said. Spider-man had known the owner of the hot dog stand for awhile, but nothing he ever did seemed to impress the man.

Spider-man tugged at his hoodie, looking down at the now faded spider emblem. "New? This is my old costume."

"No, I mean the spandex."

"It wasn't spandex. It was reinforced lycra with-"

"Spandex," the man snorted.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever. The usual, please." Peter slid a couple crumpled ones through the window. The man grumbled and went about making his order.

"You giving the kid a hard time, Joe?" Another man walked up to the stand. He looked fairly young and had curly black hair.

"I always give the kid a hard time. Someone has too," Joe grunted.

"How's it going, Spidey?" The new man asked, a warm smile on his face. "Good to see you in one piece."

Peter rolled his eyes under his mask. He appreciated everyone's concern, but everyone starting their conversation with some form of "I'm glad you're alive" was starting to get on his nerves. "It's going," Peter answered his question. "How are you? I don't believe we've met."

"Oh, we have. You probably don't recognize me. It's been...two years? Yeah, two years."

Peter nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off the man's bright green eyes. His spider sense was tingling. Joe set the hot dog in the window and Peter instantly snatched it up. "Well, it was nice, um, seeing you again. But I have old ladies to help across the street. Bye!" Peter hurried off. 

The young man wandered off into the streets of Queens. He ducked into an alley where Scarlet Witch was waiting for him. She had changed up her look just enough to not be instantly recognized.

"So?" She smiled, waving her hand, dismissing her spell. The man's face morphed back into Bruce's.

"I think it worked fairly well. I still think you made me look too much like myself."

Wanda shrugged, "wanted to see how far we could push it. Where you able to talk to him?"

"Not for very long. I think his spider sense gave me away, but he didn't put two and two together.

"So, when do we get to use this for real?" Wanda put her hands on her hips.

"Peter turns twenty next month. I'm sure Tony has a big party planned at the compound. Booze will most likely be involved. Everyone's guards will be down."

Wanda's face twisted into a cruel smile. "Birthday, huh? Well, I think I know the perfect gift for our little spider." She moved her hand around, watching the red light swirl between her finger tips.

* * *

  
**One Month Later**

"Happy birthday, bug boy!" Clint tackled Peter the second he walked into the compound.

"MJ! Help me!" Peter thrashed, struggling to free himself from Clint's death grip. Michelle stepped over them and made a bee line for the kitchen. Peter eventually squirmed away. He didn't make it much further into the room before he was stopped by his father.

"You want to tell me why you're back in your pajamas?" Tony held up his phone, showing a blurry photo of Peter in his homemade costume.

"You have my suit."

"You gave it to me. It's on your work bench. You could've come up here and gotten it at any point." Tony pocketed his phone. "Thought you were done being Spider-man?"

"I am. I just like running around Queens in my pajamas."

"You're a mess," Tony shook his head. "C'mon, everyone's been dying to see you."

"I can tell," Peter shot a look at Clint, who was standing directly behind him with a smug look plastered on his face. He hadn't been back to the compound since the Osborn incident and was honestly planning on spending his birthday alone with Michelle, but his family obviously had other plans. Peter followed his father into the living room, where the entire team was already gathered. Everyone had to give Peter multiple hugs and wish him a happy birthday. Which was perfectly fine with Peter. He liked hugs. Even Happy gave him a hug, which honestly made his entire day.

"Here," Tony handed Peter a beer.

Steve swooped in and snatched it away. "His twenty-first birthday is _next_ year, Tony."

"Hey, he needs to get used to the taste alcohol before then, because his twenty-first birthday is gonna be wild," Tony declared.

"Absolutely not," Steve shut that down instantly.

"It's okay, I already know what beer tastes like. Not really a fan." Peter shrugged.

Tony nearly choked on his own drink. Steve whirled on Tony, giving him a death glare. "Don't give me that look! I didn't give him alcohol! I swear!" Steve leaned in close to Tony, his glare unwavering. "Really! Jesus, Steve, you're scaring the shit outta me!"

"He's telling the truth. I bought the beer myself." Peter was acting way too calm about the situation. "It was for a party. Freshman year of college."

Steve redirected his glare at Peter but was unable to keep it up. Not with Peter giving him those puppy dog eyes. "We'll discuss this later." Steve walked away, mumbling something about 'goddamn Starks' under his breath.

"Anyway, I got you something," Tony took a small envelope out of his breast pocket. Photos had become a gift giving tradition between the two ever since Peter's seventeenth birthday. Tony didn't like to celebrate his own birthday or father's day, but Peter still got presented him with a photo whenever those days rolled around. Peter could barely contain his joy as he slipped the photograph out of its envelope. His heart skipped a beat when he got a good look at it.

The photo was of Peter's biological parents. It was old, slightly discolored with torn edges. The writing on the back said, "Mary and Richard Parker, just got back from their honeymoon, May 8th, 2001." Peter's breath caught in his throat when he realized that the note was in uncle Ben's handwriting.

"You said you lost your only pictures of them. Managed to find that one in some of May's old stuff," Tony explained, scratching the back of his head. "Oof! Easy, kiddo!" Tony chuckled. Peter had suddenly flung himself into Tony's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Peter felt like he was going to cry.

Tony wrapped his arms around his son, giving him a loving clap on the back. "Happy birthday, Petey."

"Can we eat?" Clint called from the kitchen, sounding a bit irritated.

"Yes, please do!" Tony pried Peter off of him, although he kept an arm around his shoulders as they made their way to the kitchen.

Peter bounced from person to person for the rest of the party, happily talking to whoever was available and showing off the picture of his parents.

"You look a lot like him," Steve commented, pointing at Richard. The older Peter got, the more and more he looked like his father. But he was also becoming more like Tony, which Steve always found amusing.

Peter grinned at that.

Steve smiled back, enjoying every smile Peter made. He ruffled Peter's hair, "did you know your father and Tony used to date?"

Peter made a face, "I didn't need to know that."

"Well now you know, happy birthday." Steve laughed. Peter punched him in the shoulder.

"I'm going to get cake. Do you want some?" Peter offered.

"Sure."

"Icecream, too?"

"Of course!" Steve said.

"Okay!" Peter hopped over the back of the couch. His spider sense pricked when he was cutting the cake, but he ignored it. He got desert for him and Steve and turned around to find the super soldier standing a few feet away. "I was gonna bring it to you," Peter chuckled, sliding Steve's plate across the table.

Steve looked confused for a moment. He shrugged and collected the cake. Peter started to leave the kitchen, but Steve grabbed him by the arm. "Hang on, I still haven't given you your birthday gift."

"You don't have to give me anything, ya know," Peter said quickly.

"Too late," Steve chirped, a big grin on his face, "follow me!" Peter followed his second father out of the kitchen and away from the common area, unaware that there was another Steve still sitting on the couch.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was super fun to write. 
> 
> Two more to go, ya'll.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and as always, let me know if you enjoyed! Your comments keep me writing! :)


	28. Forgiven

"Has anyone seen Pete?" Clint hovered behind the couch that Steve was sitting in.

"He went to the kitchen to get cake," Steve reported. Peter had been gone for a good ten minutes, but Steve wasn't really concerned, considering how easily Peter could get distracted. Especially with all the Avengers currently battling for his attention.

"I was just there, he wasn't," Clint scanned the room. The common room was a fairly open area, and there weren't many places a person could hide other than the kitchen.

"I thought he was with Cap?" Sam walked over to them, faltering slightly when he saw Steve sitting on the couch.

"He was. Like I said, he went to get cake."

"No, no, I mean I saw him walk out of the room with you a few minutes ago..." Sam trailed off.

"I assure you I haven't moved in the past hour," Steve chuckled. "Sure you haven't had a few too many drinks, buddy?"

"I don't drink," Sam frowned. "I swear I saw him following you..."

"Weird..." Clint looked between the two soldiers.

"What's going on?" Tony drifted over to them, noticing the concerned looks on their faces.

"I think Peter's in trouble," Steve reached for the shield on the coffee table.

"Again? That time of the week again?" Tony snickered.

"This is serious, Tony. He really might be in danger," Sam gave him a disapproving look, effectively wiping the smile off Tony's face.

"Where is he?" Tony's expression darkened.

Steve took a deep breath. "That's the thing...Which way did you see him go, Sam?"

* * *

  
"Where are we going?" Peter looked up at the Captain. Steve hadn't said a single word to him since they left the kitchen. They had left the main part of the building and were heading towards the hanger that houses the Quinjet and other planes. 

Instead of answering, Steve took hold of Peter's arm and walked a bit faster. Peter's spider-sense spiked the moment Steve touched him. The arachnid stuck himself firmly to the ground, refusing to budge even when Steve tightened his grip almost painfully. "Don't make this difficult, Peter."

"Where. Are. We. Going?" Peter repeated.

"We're leaving. I'll explain later, but we need to go. Right now. It's not safe here. Not anymore." Steve brushed the back of his hand over Peter's cheek, making him flinch.

"I agree with this no longer being a safe place. But I think my reasoning differs from yours. Let me go, Cap."

Steve frowned, "let me help you."

"You can help by letting me go."

"That's not going to happen. I let you go the first time. I won't make that mistake again," the Steve look-alike growled.

Peter's spider-sense spiked again.

_"You want to let him go? You're not done," Wanda frowned. Peter had been shoved in the dog crate once more. The boy curled in on himself, bloodied hands hiding his face as he whimpered. He couldn't see them from inside the crate, but he could hear them perfectly fine. Although, he wished he couldn't. He wished they would just leave him alone. Let him rot in the dog crate._

_"I can't do anything else until his arms heal and adjust to the new organs. With his healing factor, I estimate that that will take three weeks. Maybe less." Bruce explained. He kneeled before the cage, eyeing the boy inside. Peter pressed himself against the back wall. Silent tears streamed down his face. "Shh...it's okay. The hard part's over." Bruce reached through the bars and brushed his finger tips over Peter's calf. Peter instantly lashed out, swiping at Bruce's hand with a muffled scream. Screaming hurt. It hurt both his lips and his already raw throat. But he wanted Bruce to hear him scream. He wanted Bruce to know how he felt. Bruce retracted his hand. Peter's own hands were still shaky from the recent surgery and unfortunately hadn't been able to break Bruce's fingers like he had wanted._

_"And? We'll just keep him in the crate. Keep him hydrated with an IV." Wanda didn't see the problem. Peter didn't like the sound of that._

_"Think of the chaos Stark would cause if Peter remained missing for three weeks. He would level the entire state. SHIELD would get involved. They'd figure us out and it'd be all over," Bruce explained. "We're a few stories below Stark's own workshop. I'm surprised he hasn't found us yet."_

_"If he hasn't at this point then he probably won't ever. If we let the kid go, he'll tell," Wanda knelt down next to Bruce. She was cleaning the blood off her fingers with a tissue._

_Peter glared at them._

_"I don't think he will." Bruce's gaze fell on the blue thread that bound Peter's mouth. "I think he's learned his lesson about talking too much."_

_Bruce unlatched the grate. "Go. Get some rest. You've earned it. Don't forget, we'll be keeping an eye on you. And if you tell anyone...then the next thing to go will be your tongue."_

_Peter darted out of the cage, running until he collapsed into his father's arms._

"Peter, we need to go." Steve's voice pulled Peter back into the present. But it wasn't Steve who was standing before him, even if it looked like the Captain. It wasn't him. It was Bruce. That damn witch must have put a spell on him.

Rage boiled up deep inside Peter. "I trusted you."

"Pete-"

"I TRUSTED YOU!!" Peter grabbed Bruce by the throat and flung him down the hall. The older man hit the wall with enough force to leave a Steve shaped dent.

"Well, that didn't last as long as I had hoped." Wanda stepped into the open, waving her hand to dismiss the spell. Bruce pushed himself to his feet. He looked a bit green around the edges.

Peter dropped into a defensive crouch, glaring at Wanda. "One more step and I'll rip you both limb from limb."

"Really?" Bruce snorted. "I never thought you would stoop so low. So, what? You kill one person and now you can't get enough blood?"

"I didn't say I would kill you. I just want you to feel every bit of pain you inflicted on me." Peter slapped his pants pocket, where he always kept the panic button. He didn't want the Avengers getting in the way of his revenge. But they deserved to know that their former teammates were in the building.

The panic alarm didn't go off.

Peter suddenly became very aware that his pocket was in fact empty.

"Lose something?" Bruce held up the button.

"Son of a bitch," Peter hissed right as Bruce crushed the device in his fist.

* * *

  
Tony figured out fairly quickly that FRIDAY had been disabled, so he couldn't just ask the AI where his son had gone. Something was very, very wrong. At this point, the entire team had noticed the situation and gone off in different directions to look for Peter. Michelle took the gun from her bag and tucked it into the waistband of her jeans.

"Any luck?" Tony asked, nearly running into her when he rounded a corner. She shook her head and shouldered past him.

The Hulk's roar sounded through the entire compound.

The two froze in their tracks. They exchanged a quick look before Tony grabbed Michelle by the arm and ran in the opposite direction of the roar.

"What the hell are you doing?! Wrong way!" Michelle tried to plant her feet firmly on the ground but wasn't much of a match for Tony.

"We are not engaging the Hulk without armor," Tony said firmly.

"We? You mean I get to use-"

"Absolutely not," Tony punched a command into a control pad on the wall, opening a back entrance to his workshop. "I'd rather not put you in harm's way. This room his Hulk proof. You should be safe here." The Iron Man suit was already flying at him, breaking into pieces before reforming around the engineer's body.

Michelle didn't like that idea. "Natasha and Clint have been teaching me to fight, and I have a gun-"

"This is the _Hulk_. I admire your determination, but I refuse to let you get involved. Stay here." He slammed the door in her face before she could protest.

"Like I would listen to you, Stark," Michelle grumbled under her breath as she snuck out the main entrance of the workshop.

* * *

Meanwhile, Captain America sprinted towards the sound of the Hulk. He burst through a door, sending splintered wood flying.

Both the Hulk and Wanda engaged in a battle with Peter, oblivious to the newest addition to the fight. Peter was flipping through the air, using his organic webbing in a desperate attempt to subdue his attackers.

"BANNER!" Steve hit the Hulk in the back of the head with his shield, catching it with ease when it rebounded.

The Hulk growled as he slowly turned to face the captain.

"Hiya, Cap!" Peter smiled and waved, glad to see the real Steve again.

"Hey, Pete. Looks like you could use some help," Steve smiled back. "Eyes on me, big guy," he spoke to the Hulk. The beast roared and slammed his fists on the ground. He then proceeded to charge at Steve. Steve raised his shield over his head, taking on the full force of the Hulk's fists. The soldier's arms quaked, and the ground cracked under his feet, but he otherwise held steady.

"Old friend, you have disappointed me greatly," Thor appeared out of nowhere, his hammer connecting with the Hulk's skull. 

"That's an understatement!" Hawk-Eye dropped down from the ceiling, followed close behind by the Black Widow. The two engaged Wanda, knowing they were no match for the Hulk.

"Glad you decided to Hulk out in such a big room, makes it easier for me!" Falcon swooped in through the hangar door, bladed feathers scratching at the Hulk's thick hide. "Rhodes, go for the knees!"

"On it!" War Machine called, firing his shoulder gun at said target.

The Vision melted out of the wall closest to Wanda. "Ms. Maximoff." He spoke evenly.

"Vision." Wanda gave a nod right as she used her magic to fling Clint across the room.

"You can still stop all of this," Vision hovered a few inches off the floor, hands at his sides.

"After everything that's happened? Not possible," Wanda said. Peter jumped her from behind, twisting his legs around her neck and throwing his weight to the side, effectively slamming her head into the ground. He flipped off of her and scrambled back a few feet. Blood dripped from Wanda's now broken nose. Peter clenched his jaw, not liking the twisted satisfaction he got from seeing someone bleed. Even if that person was Scarlet Witch.

"Stay down," Vision advised.

"NEVER." Wanda boomed, red light exploding from her body and sending everyone within range sailing across the hangar.

Peter landed a bit too close to the hulk for comfort. The Hulk made a grab for him, but Peter was too quick. He crawled onto the Hulk's back and used his webs to strangle the beast. "Please, please, please, go to sleep!" He ducked down when Hulk's hands clawed at him. "ARGH!" Hulk managed to grab Peter by the leg and yank him off. He slammed the youngest Avenger into the ground hard enough to shatter the concrete. Hulk raised his fists, about to squash Peter like a bug-

_**BANG BANG BANG BANG** _

Hulk growled, slowly turning to look at the person who dared shoot him in the back. Happy Hogan stood several yards away, gun raised and looking angrier than Peter ever thought possible.

"Don't. Touch. My. Kid." Happy snarled.

The Hulk charged. Happy held his stance, firing his gun until he was out of bullets. The Hulk was fast, but Spidey was faster. He darted over, grabbed his friend around the waist and swung off on a web line just in time.

"That was badass," Peter smiled. Happy didn't smile back, but he did give Peter a friendly clap on the back.

"What else can I do to help?"

"Lockdown the hangar. Full lockdown. We can't let them escape again."

Happy nodded and hurried off.

Peter heard the Hulk roar again and looked over his shoulder to see the green beast running at him. Iron Man and War Machine flew over Peter's head, the sound of their rocket boots making Peter cover his ears. The two armored Avengers flew right at the Hulk, punching him in the face and knocking him flat on his back. It wasn't long before Hulk was back on his feet, but by that time, Iron Man, War Machine, Falcon, Captain America and the Vision had swarmed around him and were putting up one hell of a fight.

A lockdown warning alarm blared throughout the hangar. Red lights flashed above them as the heavy metal doors slid shut. Extra plates of metal slid over the windows and exits, reinforcing any escape routes. The main lights shut off, switching to the emergency lights that the lined the floor.

Wanda pulled a vial from her pocket and promptly dumped its contents onto the ground.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Peter screamed.

"Evening out the playing field," Wanda smiled cruelly. Venom rose up from the floor, taking humanoid form. His body type resembles that of Peter's, but with a bit more muscle on his bones. The symbiote's face split into a stomach-churning smile, with jagged teeth and a long pink tongue that flicked around his mouth like a that of a snake's. "That's Richards boy. Go wild." Wanda pat him on the back. The symbiote let out an ear piercing shriek and darted straight for Peter.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Peter flipped over Venom. "Not cool! I've had my fair share of being a host for right now, please come back later!"

"We mussssst be together," Venom hissed.

"Hard pass," Peter said, throwing a kick at Venoms head. The creature caught him by the ankle and flipped him onto his back.

"You need me," Venom's tendrils slithered over Peter's neck. "We need each other to live. Let me in, little ssssspider."

Peter punched him square in the jaw, "Thanks, but I'm already in a relationship." The symbiote stumbled back and Peter jumped up.

"If I can't have you, then nobody can," Venom lashed out, slicing through Peter's shirt and drawing blood.

Peter winced, "fine by me." Venom screamed. Peter also let out a battle cry as the two lunged for one another.

"How the hell did that thing get out of the lab?!" Iron Man yelled when he saw Peter fighting for his life against the symbiote. Blood was dripping from a gash in Peter's midriff.

"I think it's a different strand. Bastards must have brought it with them," Steve grunted.

"I'm going to help!" Iron Man broke away from the Hulk. He grabbed the symbiote by the neck and flew it up into the rafters, then turned around and increased the power on his boots, crashing down into the floor. The symbiote half liquified in the newly formed crater, whimpering slightly. It let itself melt into the floor, swiftly snaking its way to Peter and latching onto his leg. The symbiote reformed himself right in front of the arachnid, its hands around Peter's throat.

"Sssssquish the sssspider!" Venom hissed.

Peter grabbed onto Venom's head and shoving him to the ground. He applied a great deal of pressure to Venom's head, trying to crush the skull that wasn't there. His hands dipped into the ink-like substance, tendrils twisting its way up his arms. Peter punched Venom in the face, but instead of making contact like last time, the symbiote momentarily liquified its head, then reformed around Peter's hand, successfully trapping it in the black goo.

A high pitched ringing noise split through the air. Peter winced, his already sensitive ears feeling like they were going to bleed. The symbiote shrieked in agony, quickly melting away into nothing but a puddle of black sludge.

The sound stopped just as abruptly as it had started. Peter looked up to see Iron Man standing right next to him, part of his gauntlet unfolded to reveal a small sonic cannon. "Sorry, that was probably tough on your ears. You good?"

"Peachy," Peter wiped the goo off his sleeves. Venom wouldn't be getting up for a while.

"Uh oh." Tony's sensors picked something up right before Peter's own senses went off. One of the jets had been destroyed in the battle, and Wanda was now throwing chunks of metal at them. Iron Man easily blasted them apart with his repulsors, while Spider-man used his webbing to keep them from hitting any of the other Avengers.

"I got this, I think they need your help with the Hulk!" Peter called, launching himself into the air on a web line.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." Peter landed a kick right at Wanda's back. She used her magic to keep herself upright and tossed Peter away. Peter quickly regained his footing and ran back at her. Iron Man watched them fight for a moment longer before blasting off.

Mid lunge, Peter's entire body was engulfed in red light. He hovered in the air for a moment, one hand outstretched to Wanda, the other balled into a fist behind him. The witch waved her hand, throwing Peter against the nearest wall, with his arms and legs splayed apart. Peter sucked in a sharp gasp of air when he felt his organs tightening inside him. Wanda's fingers were curling in, a sick look in her eyes as she squeezed the life out of Peter's lungs. Peter tried bucking, but his body wouldn't obey him. His jaw stretched wide, desperately gulping down air that couldn't quite reach his collapsing lungs. His eyes bulged and he started to become lightheaded.

_**BANG** _

The light vanished, and Peter fell to the ground in a heap. He clawed at his chest as he gulped down oxygen. Scarlet Witch had also collapsed. Blood spilling from the hole in the back of her skull, pooling around her head in a dark crimson that looked so much like her own magic.

Michelle stood several feet away, gun still raised. Her expression was as blank as ever, yet her lower lip was trembling.

"T-thanks, MJ..." Peter panted, eyes still locked on the corpse.

Michelle dropped the gun and rushed over. "Are you okay?!" Her hand brushed over his back.

"F-fine, now...we just gotta get the Hulk..." Peter's breathing was becoming more steady. His lungs still burned, but he couldn't afford to wait for them to fully heal.

Hulk had begun to shrink in size, becoming exhausted from fighting the Avengers for an extended period of time. Peter made MJ stay back and slowly approached the raging giant. By the time he reached the fray, Bruce had reverted back to his original form. He wore the stretchy purple shorts Tony had made for him almost a decade ago. Bruce spat a bloodied tooth on the ground. The Avengers swarmed around him, all aiming their various weapons at his head.

"Hands where we can see them, Banner," Steve ordered.

Bruce pushed himself to his feet, putting everyone even more on edge than they already were. "It'd be wise to step aside and let me walk away. Big green doesn't need to rest for very long," he reminded them, keeping his hands at his side.

"Hands up!" Steve commanded once more.

Bruce refused. "Where is Spider-man?"

Peter pushed his way to the front of the crowd. Tony through an arm across Peter's chest, not letting him take one step closer to Bruce.

Bruce held his hand out to Peter. "You said you trusted me."

"I did. That was a long time ago, Bruce." Peter's eyes were dark, his expression was unreadable. "You really think I would willingly go with you?"

"I didn't want to hurt you, Peter. Wanda was the one who wanted to see you bleed. I just wanted to help you," Bruce sighed, dropping his hand. "I wanted to help you reach your full potential."

Even with the faceplate, Tony clearly looked like he was about to tear Bruce limb from limb. Rhodey and Steve had to physically hold him back.

"You could've done that by staying my friend and mentor," Peter said.

"I still am your friend."

Peter pushed Tony's arm down, taking a few steps towards Bruce, despite Tony's pleas for him to stay back. "No, you're not. Friends don't cut each other open."

"Like I said, I was helping you reach your full potential."

"What gives you the right?" Peter hissed. "What gives you the right to my body? I'm not your fucking lab rat."

Bruce frowned. He looked Peter over for a moment, taking in his battered form. "You disappoint me, Peter. We could have done great things together."

"As Hulk and Spider-man, yes. We could have. Then you had to go and..." Peter made a noise of disgust.

"I made you a better person. A better hero. We can still work together."

"We won't."

"You really want to stay with these people, Peter?" Bruce huffed. "You have scars inflicted by your own father."

"You were in control of the suit at the time. Not him," Peter's hand ghosted over his chest, but he quickly pulled away from it. "You've caused all my scars."

"These people have been feeding you lies for years," Bruce went on. "Steve and Natasha knew what I'd done from the start. They found out about my experiments right after Tony introduced us to you. But they kept their mouths shut."

Peter glanced back at Steve, who refused to meet Peter's gaze. Tony was deathly silent, staring at Steve in disbelief. Natasha fidgetted, eyes downcast. They hadn't known the extent of what Bruce had been doing until it was too late. They both regretted not telling anyone when they first found out.

"That doesn't matter. What's done is done," Peter looked away from the man he considered a second father.

Bruce's eye twitched, Peter's reaction clearly not the one he had wanted. "Do you know how your aunt died?"

"A drunk driver ran a red light," Peter's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Is that the story the doctors told you?" Bruce smiled.

"Don't," Clint hissed.

Peter spun to face Clint, eyes wide. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words didn't come out.

"Strange that your aunt died the same day the Avengers had to fight a bunch of robots in Queens."

Peter swallowed hard. He vaguely remembered that happening. But at the time he was so wrapped up in grief over the phone call about his aunt that he hadn't been paying attention to the news.

"Those exploding arrows Clint uses work like a charm on robots. Too bad that whats left of the bots have nowhere to go but down. Down onto whoever was unlucky enough to be under them."

"I swear, I didn't know she was there, I thought I had gotten all the civilians out of the way," Clint choked out. Peter was unable to tear his eyes off the archer. Was this the reason why Clint was always so nice to him? Even when they pretended to get mad at one another, or when they were training, Clint always lets him win. Peter assumed it was just because Clint saw Peter as a little brother. And maybe Clint did indeed see Peter like as a brother, but all of that must have spawned from Clint feeling guilty.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Peter whispered.

"I didn't know," Clint admitted. "Not until after Tony let us meet you, and I found out your last name."

Peter held his gaze a minute longer before looking back at Bruce.

"Don't you get it, Peter?" Bruce spoke again, "you can't trust these people. They've done nothing but hurt you."

"Look who's talking," Tony hissed, blue eyes of his armor boring into Bruce's soul.

"Actually, Rhodey and Sam haven't done a damn thing wrong," Peter smiled. "Well, Sam doesn't share his cookies with me, but that's okay."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Sam's mouth.

"And I don't think it's physically possible for Vision to be mean to people," Peter's smile widened. "My family is a bunch of fuck-ups, and I'm going to beat Clint's ass in particular as soon as this is all over. But they're still my family, and I forgive them."

"You're a fool, then." Bruce shook his head.

"Maybe." Peter shrugged. "You on the other hand. I can never forgive." He then put everything he had into a single punch, aiming it directly at Bruce's head. There was sickening crack as Bruce's teeth shattered and his jaw was ripped from his skull, the body part flying through the air. Blood splattered on Peter's face. Bruce stumbled backward, his tongue hanging from what was left of his mouth. Crimson splattered on the ground as he continued to walk backward, hands going up to try and stop the bleeding.

"Good lord..." Tony breathed out, eyes wide. He had wanted to hurt Bruce for so long, but right now he felt more grossed out than satisfied.

Bruce made a choking noise and collapsed. Peter stared down at him, shoulders squared and head held high. There was absolutely no emotion on his face as we watched his torturer writhe in pain. "I want you to _feel_ what I felt. Not exactly the same thing as sewing someone's mouth shut. But you get the idea."

"Kill me," Bruce begged, his broken voice barely more than a gurgling noise.

"No," Peter said. "I hope you live a long, long painful life, Bruce. I really do." With that, Peter turned on heel and walked back over to his father, allowing the SHIELD agents that had just arrived to swarm around the former Avenger.

Tony guided his son away from the crowd. Peter sat on the front steps of the building, wrapping his arms around himself. Tony took off his jacket and draped it around Peter's shoulders. Peter pulled the fabric tighter around his thin frame.

"So...pretty wild birthday party, huh? Gonna be hard to top next year," Tony commented, earning a small chuckle from Peter. "You doing okay, kiddo?"

"I...yes. For once, I actually am."

"Are you happy?" Tony pressed.

"Yes. I mean, no? I don't know...I thought punching Bruce like that would be more satisfying. But..."

"You don't like hurting others," Tony finished.

"No, I don't. Even if they are people like him," Peter lowered his head. They sat in silence for a minute before Peter spoke up again. "I'm glad I did it, though. Something had to be done. Or he would've just kept coming after me."

"You did the right thing. And it's a good thing you were the one to do it. Had it been me..." Tony clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. "Let's just say I wouldn't have been quite as merciful."

There was another long silence, in which Peter scooted closer to his father, and Tony wrapped an arm around him. Tony planted a kiss on top of Peter's head. Peter muttered something that sounded like "gross", and Tony laughed. They both had a lot of healing to do after everything that had happened. But Tony knew that in the end, everything would be alright. Peter wouldn't have to keep looking over his shoulder anymore, and Tony could sleep soundly without waiting for the panic alarm to blare at any moment. Of course, there was no guarantee that Spider-man wouldn't face worse enemies in the future. No guarantee that Peter would be able to keep close to the ground, watching out for the little guy. Because he was only twenty, and still had a lot of superhero-ing to do. And he was still an Avenger. And one day he would have to face horrible monsters once again. But for now, Peter was safe. And he could go back to being the friendly neighborhood Spider-man, whose greatest enemy was an elderly man in a bird costume. And Peter Parker, whose biggest concern was getting his homework done on time.

"You just gonna leave me in there with all those weirdos?!" Michelle stormed down the steps, slapping Peter in the back of the head. Peter stammered over his excuse, while Michelle continued to half-heartedly yell at him. Peter hugged her as a way to shut her up, which somehow worked. Michelle huffed but hugged him back. The two sat in silence, simply enjoying the other's embrace. "That was scary." Michelle whispered. 

"It's over now, though," Peter responded, kissing her temple.

Tony smiled softly at them before going back inside to help the SHIELD agents sort out the current mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That about wraps things up! This chapter took a bit longer to get up because I wanted to make sure the final battle was satisfying. 
> 
> Stay tuned for the epilogue! (Which will be almost 8,000 words because Peter deserves all the hugs, goddamnit)
> 
> Thank you for reading, and as always, leave a comment if you enjoyed! :D


	29. Epilogue

**A Few Months Later**

Sunlight forced Peter to open his eyes a fraction. He groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the back of Michelle's neck.

"It's almost noon, ya know. Maybe we should get up soon?" Michelle whispered. She had been awake for awhile but was still laying next to him. A book was in her hands, but she wasn't really paying attention to the pages.

"Five more minutes," Peter wrapped himself around her. Michelle reached back and ran a hand through his hair. It was a Sunday, and neither of them had work. Michelle put her book on the pillow and rolled over, snuggling up to her boyfriend. "I love you," he kissed her forehead.

"I love you, too, tiger."

* * *

 

"What's this?" Tony pushed his welding mask up over his head. Peter had appeared before him with a plate of cookies.

"Sam made cookies," Peter grinned.

"Did he make them for you or did you steal them when he wasn't looking?" Tony put his welding torch down and turned his entire body to face Peter.

"Good question," Peter smirked, "have a cookie."

"You're evil."

Peter chuckled, "Sam made them for Steve, and Steve gave them to me. So not technically stealing. Take one before I eat them all."

Tony rolled his eyes and took one, not bothering to take off his heavy gloves. He quickly got back to work after finishing the treat. Peter stayed close by, watching him work. Tony noticed Peter had his camera slung around his neck and asked, "how's the new job? Jameson isn't giving you a hard time is he?"

"Of course he is. He fires me on a regular basis. Sorta. He says I'm fired. But then he still expects me to come into work the next day. It's weird." Peter shrugged. He took a big bite out of a cookie, then spoke again, "it's fun though. The job. I like being able to take pictures for a living."

Tony hummed in agreement. He still wanted Peter to work for Stark Industries. He wanted him to work in research and development and then take over as CEO when Pepper retired. But it was becoming more and more clear that Peter just wasn't meant for that kind of job. Peter just wanted to run around Queens in his red and blue pajamas, taking pictures of funny looking birds. Not at all Tony's first choice for his son. But it was what made Peter happy, so Tony supported him one hundred percent. He made sure Peter had all the film he could ever need and had built him a camera that could withstand being dropped from the empire state building. Which happened to be the camera Peter was wearing right now.

"Hey!" Tony barked when Peter pelted him with a cookie.

"You were spacing out again," Peter stuck out his tongue.

"Sorry, I little caught up with this," Tony motioned vaguely to the project that was scattered on the workbench. "What were you saying?"

"I said I was going to work on my suit later tonight." Peter said, "but right now I'm going to go mess with Clint." He stuffed a couple cookies in his pocket and put the plate next to Tony.

"Have fun." Tony waved. Once Peter was out of sight, Tony lifted his mask and stuffed another cookie in his mouth. Sam made damn good cookies. About half an hour later, Tony could hear Clint yelling at Peter. They must be in the vents. Again. Peter's laughter rang out loud and clear from the nearest air vent, followed by a string of curses from Clint. Tony smiled to himself. It sounded as though things were finally returning to normal.

* * *

  
**One Year After Bruce’s Arrest**

"Still can't believe you're dating Tony Stark," Bucky grumbled, sliding down in his seat. He had been unfrozen for a few months but was just now returning to America. Steve had picked him up at the airport and driven him straight to the Avengers facility, where he would be living until further notice. Steve slowed down as the road turned to gravel and the compound came into view.

"Engaged, actually," Steve smiled brightly. "A lot happened while you were out."

"Damn. Don't know why I expected everything to still be the same after six years," Bucky leaned his head against the door, letting his hair fly out the open window. "Can you go over the current Avengers again?"

Steve listed the roster for the third time that day. Bucky hadn't known the former members well enough to notice that Wanda and Bruce weren't on the list. Steve wasn't planning on telling him what had happened. Not unless Bucky somehow found out and asked about it. "Oh, and then there's Pete."

"Pete?"

"Peter Stark," Steve smiled. "He'll be my stepson after Tony and I get married."

"Stark has a kid?" Bucky gave Steve a nervous look. "I really don't like that idea of a miniature Stark. He'll go right for my shins."

Steve laughed, "he's adopted. And he's a lot nicer than Tony. Good kid. You'll like him. Although, he probably will kick you in the shins if you tick him off. You already met him. At the airport. Back in 2016."

"I did? Wait...the spider kid?" Bucky wrinkled his nose.

"Yup. And he's not a kid anymore. Turned twenty-one recently."

"Six years," Bucky hummed, his eyes open wide, yet unseeing, lost in his own thoughts.

Steve parked the car outside their living quarters and led Bucky inside. Everyone was waiting to welcome their newest member with open arms. Even Tony. Although, Bucky couldn't tell if he was genuinely glad to see him, or if he was being nice to spare Steve's feelings. He stiffened whenever Bucky got to close to him, so he figured it was probably the latter.

Peter seemed to appear out of thin air. He wore his Spider-man costume, sans the mask, and was staring up at Bucky wide-eyed. Bucky tilted his head at the kid. Everything about him reminded Bucky of pre-serum Steve. Everything from his scrawny build, to the way he held himself. He knew he wasn't the toughest guy in the room, but he was acting like he was. Bucky couldn't get over just how young the kid looked. His youth combined with the scars on his face made Bucky's stomach churn. He wondered what happened but couldn't bring himself to ask. And now the kid was looking up at him with big, innoccent, puppy dog eyes, and Bucky just couldn't take it anymore.

"Steve, this is my kid now," Bucky put an arm around Peter's shoulders.

"Excuse you?!" Tony's head snapped up.

Steve blinked, "okay?"

"Not, okay!" Tony protested, "he's my kid!"

"He's like a mini Steve," Bucky smiled. "And I just decided he's going to be my new best friend."

"I like Bucky, he's cool," Peter chirped.

After a few months of Bucky living with the Avengers, Steve came to the conclusion that having him here was both the best decision of his life, and also his worst mistake. On the one hand, he was glad to have his oldest friend back at his side. Tony was making an actual effort to be nice to Bucky, and he could tell the two were starting to become friends. So everything was fairly pleasant on that front. But on the other hand...Peter and Clint had taken Bucky under their arms. Which was great, Bucky deserved to have friends. But Steve did not deserve the number of pranks he had been subjected to in the last few months. Steve could barely handle the combined forces of Peter and Clint when it was just them. Bucky was too intimidated by the rest of the Avengers to mess with them, so Steve was always the go-to person for his nonsense.

"Stark's kid is terrifying," Bucky said to him one day.

"I suppose he can be a bit of a handful," Steve shrugged, not looking up from his book. "You weren't around when he actually lived here. I'm surprised this place didn't burn down."

"He sticks to the ceiling," Bucky said. Steve looked up at that, realizing he had misunderstood what Bucky had said.

"He is Spider-man. Spiders stick to things."

"Spiders are terrifying. Peter is terrifying. I have to keep looking up to make sure he's not there."

"Has he dropped down on you yet?" Steve smirked. Peter's favorite thing to do was to follow someone along the ceiling and drop down on them when they least expected it.

"No..." Bucky paled. "He wouldn't do that would he?"

"I don't know, ask him." Steve looked up. Bucky followed his gaze and let out a horrified scream right as Peter dropped down on him.

* * *

  
**Three Years After Bruce’s Arrest**

"I'm getting married," Peter said, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

"You've said that. A few times." Tony turned him around and slipped a bright red tie around his neck. Peter reached up to tie it, but Tony slapped his hands and tied it himself. "There you go," he tucked the end into Peter's jacket.

"I don't think I can do this," there was very little color on Peter's face.

"Don't you dare back out of this now!" Natasha hit up upside the head. She was dressed in an elegant black gown, her makeup as pristine as ever.

"Shouldn't you be with the bride?" Steve raised an eyebrow. All the men were gathered in the room, fretting over Peter. Natasha had burst in a few minutes ago.

"I had to help Clint with his hair. He's a mess. And so are you, Rogers. Stay where you are, I'm going to fix your hair next." Natasha then said to Peter, "breath, little spider."

Peter took a deep breath and forced himself to relax.

When Michelle walked down the aisle an hour later, Peter felt his heart stop. Because Michelle was honestly the most beautiful person he had ever seen. And he couldn't quite believe that this was happening. That he had actually lived long enough to marry her. Peter relaxed when Michelle took her place at his side. They smiled brightly at one another, and Peter realized she must be having similar thoughts.

"Hey, tiger." She breathed out.

"Hey," Peter said shyly, eyes dancing around her dress taking in every detail. "You look...amazing." The smile she gave him had Peter's heart melting. He was so hopelessly in love. And happy. He realized right then and there that he was, for the first time in a very long time, one hundred percent happy.

* * *

 

**Six Years After Bruce’s Arrest**

Tony didn't want to hold the newborn. He was afraid he would drop her. As much as he protested, Steve still made him stick out his arms. Peter handed over his child, and Tony had no choice but to hold the small thing in his shaking arms. He had never held a baby before. A baby. And not just any baby. His grandchild.

"Stark, if you drop my daughter I'm going to beat your ass," Michelle threatened from where she lay on the hospital bed.

"I won't!" Tony tightened his grip on the child. Steve pushed a chair behind him, and Tony was more than grateful to be able to sit down.

"Don't crush her," Peter chuckled, maneuvering Tony's arms so that he was supporting the infant's head.

Tony looked down at the small child, warmth suddenly spreading across his chest when his eyes met hers. Steve looped an arm around his husband’s shoulders, admiring the baby with a warm smile. The soldier whispered, "what's her name?"

"May," Peter grinned, brushing a hand over the dark fuzz on her head. "May Stark."

Tony continued staring at the baby, his hands no longer shaking. "She's so small. Is she okay? Should I get the doctor?"

Peter laughed at that, "she's a baby. She'll get bigger."

Tony tilted his head at the child, holding her close to his chest. He was going to protect this girl. Keep her safe from all the evil in this world. He might have failed Peter, but he would not fail May. She was going to grow up happy, and not a single person was going to lay a finger on her. May giggled, and Tony's heart melted. "She's perfect."

* * *

 

**Ten Years After Bruce’s Arrest**

  
"Babysitting again?" Rhodey chuckled at the scene before him. Tony Stark was having a tea party with a four-year-old girl and an assortment of stuffed animals.

"Yup!" Tony said proudly, holding out his tiny plastic teacup. The girl giggled and filled it with apple juice from her teapot.

"Tea?" The girl held a cup out to Rhodey.

"Sure, May," Rhodey took a seat next to her. No one could say no to May. Especially when she gave puppy dog eyes. She definitely had her father's eyes.

"When's daddy gonna come home? He needs tea, too!" May had set a teacup to the side just for him.

"Soon, baby," Tony put on a fake smile, not wanting to worry his granddaughter. He had no idea when Peter would come home. He was away on a solo mission. Something to do with someone named Kingpin. Tony knew his son would be fine. He would save the day and come home, bruised but in one piece, just like always. In the back of his mind, Tony knew that eventually, the day would come and Spider-man wouldn't come home. One day KAREN would alert him that she couldn't detect his pulse anymore. Spider-man was reckless and it was only a matter of time. But he wasn't ready to make peace with that fact.

May hugged the stuffed spider in her lap. The poor thing was little more than rags, with two of its eight legs missing. She was just as energetic and reckless as her father, and the toy had paid the price for it.

Rhodey ruffled her dark curls.

After a while, the three of them migrated to Tony's lab. He was helping May build a robot dog, and they were at the stage where the dog could freely walk around on its own, even do a few tricks. Rhodey was amazed at how good Tony was with kids. He spoke softly to May, never once losing his patience when she didn't understand something. He took his time to explain things in ways that a four-year-old would understand. The look on Tony's face was gentle and relaxed. He adored May. He adored her with all his heart.

May was a smart kid and caught on to what Tony was saying fairly quickly. She hadn't inherited any of Peter's powers. Tony had once asked Peter if he was disappointed. Peter claimed he was glad she didn't have his powers.

"I want her to be able to live a normal life. I don't want her crim fighting. Or having to keep looking over her shoulder. If she develops powers later on, then I'll help her learn to use them. But for now, she's better off this way.." He had said.

Tony already had plans for May's Iron Man suit. Or rather, Iron Woman. He knew Peter and MJ wouldn't approve, so he kept it between him and May. It was their little secret.

"There you guys are!" Peter called.

"Daddy!" May rushed over to him, throwing herself into his arms. Peter scooped up his daughter and held her close.

"Did you have fun with grandpa this weekend?"

"We made a dog!" She pointed at the small robot that was hobbling its way over to them. It's stiff tail spun in a circle, while a recording of a dog barking played on loop. Peter shifted May onto his hip, freeing one of his hands so he could pick up the dog.

"Wow, this is amazing, May," he kissed her forehead, causing her to giggle. He set both May and the dog back down after a minute. He smiled as she chased the robot around the lab.

"Thank you, for watching her," Peter said to his father.

"Anytime, Pete. Stick around for awhile. Steve should be back soon, and he'll be upset if he doesn't get to say goodbye to May." Tony said, a soft smile on his lips.

* * *

  
**Eleven Years After Bruce’s Arrest**

A year later, Tony Stark once again held an infant in his arms. This time his hands didn't shake. He hummed softly to his grandson. May was curled up next to him, her eyes never leaving her new baby brother.

"What's this one's name?" Steve asked, looking over at Peter, who was sitting next to his wife.

"Anthony," Michelle answered before Peter could respond.

Tony's mouth fell open, "r-really?"

"Really," Peter smiled.

The infant yawned, his eyes fluttering open.

"Hey, little Anthony," Tony chuckled. "You better start growing, cause I have big plans for your Iron Man suit."

* * *

 

**Thirteen Years After Bruce’s Arrest**

Spider-man walked through the compound with his head held high. Bucky walked behind him, close enough to let people know not to mess with Spidey, but also far enough away that he wasn't smothering Peter. Clint didn't hang around the compound much anymore. But Bucky still lived there, and followed Peter around like a lost puppy whenever the wall crawler visited. 

Captain America and Iron Man had stepped down from their joint leadership of the Avengers a few months ago. Which set off a chain reaction of people leaving the team, and new heroes joining their ranks. All of that had happened in the span of a weeks. That week was the hardest of Peter's recent years. Everyone had been uncertain about the future of the team. As well as the future of their family of choice. The team changed dramatically, and thankfully, that didn't affect their family. They all lived in different parts of the country now, but they were still as close as ever.

"You sure about this guy?" Bucky frowned.

"Nope."

"Then why let him on the team?" Bucky's frown deepened.

"I think he has potential to be a good person," Spidey explained as he opened the door to the conference room. Inside the new Avengers awaited them. Falcon, Ant Man, Wasp, Vision, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and the newest member that they had just been discussing, Deadpool. The former merc beamed at Spidey. Everyone else looked a bit uncomfortable being in the same room as him. Except for Ant Man. He had agreed with Peter on the topic of Deadpool's potential.

"Alright, Avengers." Spider-man took his place at the head of the table, formerly Captain America's seat. "We have a lot to discuss today, so let's get to it."

* * *

 

**Thirteen Years, Six Months After Bruce’s Arrest**

"I don't get it," Deadpool huffed, putting his head in his hands. He and Spidey had gone on patrol together and were taking a break on a fire escape.

"Get what?"

"Why you're the leader of the Avengers." Deadpool looked over at him. Spider-man was sitting on his haunches, looking at the alley below them.

"We took a vote. When Cap and Iron Man stepped down. They chose me." Spider-man shrugged.

"Huh," Deadpool leaned against the railing, facing the building it was attached to. "Who did you vote for?"

"Sam."

"Good choice," Deadpool nodded once. "But that still doesn't really answer my question. You're like twelve-"

"I'm thirty-one."

"Whatever. You're still the youngest out of all of us," Deadpool waved a hand. "What'd you do to get them to respect you so much?"

Spider-man looked at him but didn't say anything.

"C'mon, man! You gotta tell me! I'm busting my balls trying to earn their respect, but they still think I'm a piece of shit."

"Try harder to not be a piece of shit," Peter rolled his eyes under his mask.

"Rude!" Deadpool flipped him off.

"To answer your question, there was a lot that went into earning their respect," Peter shrugged. "Part of it probably has to do with Iron Man being my dad."

"I didn't know Tony Stark had a son," Deadpool said quietly.

"Adopted. And we kept it under wraps. Other than my last name, I have literally no ties to Tony Stark. I don't have in part in his company. I never attended any of his press conferences. Limited our time seen together in public. No one knows I exist, and I plan on keeping it that way," Spider-man explained.

"Huh," Deadpool nodded. "So I should get in on the Avengers family stuff? Try to seduce Widow?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

Spider-man laughed. "Ooooor, you could try being a team player for a few years."

"A few _years_?"

"You don't earn respect overnight, Wade."

"Guess you're right," Deadpool sighed. He took a gun from the holster on his thigh and held it up to the sunlight, examining it closely. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is what happened thirteen years ago part of why they respect you so much?"

Peter frowned, subconsciously scratching the inside of his forearm. The organic web spinners were long gone, thanks to the combined efforts of Tony and Doctor Strange. But the scars remained. Both physical and mental. "What do you mean?"

"Doctor Banner tortured you," Deadpool stated. "And you had the chance to kill him. But you didn't."

"How do you know about that?" Peter narrowed his lenses.

"Vision. I asked him what happened to the Hulk and he spilled the beans," Deadpool shrugged. "He says everyone else wanted to kill Banner. Even the Vision himself. But you showed him mercy. That's the real reason why they chose you to be the leader of the Avengers, isn't it? Because you're the only good person out of all of us."

"Maybe." Spider-man sat back against the building, letting his head lull back.

"I was tortured too. They said they were going to cure my cancer. Not exactly the cure I wanted, but you know..." Deadpool motioned to his face. Everyone on the team had seen Deadpool without his mask, but few could stomach looking at him.

Spider-man pushed his mask up over his nose, showing Wade his own scars. "You and I aren't so different."

Deadpool smiled softly, "guess not. Mine are worse though."

"I bet my PTSD is worse," Peter challenged.

"Probably," Deadpool chuckled.

"You're a good person, Wade. The rest of the team will come around. Just give them time," Spider-man shifted closer to Wade, their legs barely touching.

Deadpool nodded again. "If you say so."

"I know so. It'll work out. I wouldn't have invited you to join if it wouldn't." Spidey smiled at his friend. Deadpool pushed up his own mask and smiled back.

"Let's go beat some people up," Deadpool suggested.

"We don't want to hurt anyone," Spider-man reminded him.

"You're no fun," Deadpool whined, throwing his arms and head back like an upset child. Spider-man laughed.

* * *

  
**Twenty-Six Years After Bruce’s Arrest**

Spider-man landed on a rooftop with a grunt. His body was tired after only a few hours of web slinging. Peter had been Spider-man for over thirty years, and his body was getting old. He wouldn't be able to keep web slinging for much longer. But he was still the leader of the Avengers and was determined to ride it out until the bitter end. If that meant going out guns blazing in a bitter battle, then so be it.

**_THWIP_ **

A younger man, donning a black and red version of Peter's costume sailed past the roof on a web strand. They both waved at each other as he passed by.

Anthony.

Peter smiled softly, watching his son vanish into the distance. Anthony hadn't had much of an interest in being Iron Man, much to Tony's disappointment. That job fell to May, who was already on the Mark 4 of the Iron Woman armor. 

Peter sat on the rooftop a bit longer before heading home. He slipped in through the back door, stepping carefully so he wouldn't wake anyone.

"You're home early," Steve was at the kitchen table, drinking coffee even though it was almost midnight.

Peter nodded, too tired to think of a snappy comeback. "I'm going to bed. Good night, Dad."

"Sweet dreams, kiddo," Steve smiled and waved.

Peter smiled back before heading off down the hall. He paused in the living room, tapping his knuckles on the Iron Man helmet on the mantle. "Night, dad."

 _"I'm proud of you."_ Tony's final words rang out in his mind.

Tony had passed away in his sleep almost a year ago. In a way Peter was glad. Because it meant Tony hadn't suffered. He hadn't had to spend his last moments in a cold suit of armor, fighting for his life. He died in his husband's arms, under a peaceful sleep. Peter was pretty sure Tony knew he wouldn't wake up that morning. The night before, he had called Peter, just to chat. There was none of the normal bickering between the two of them during that call. No insults, no teasing. Just chatting. Tony told Peter how much he meant to him. How much he had changed his world. And that he was proud of him. And that was it. Tony went to bed. And his heart gave out.

After that, Steve moved in with him and Michelle, unable to keep living in the house Tony had died in. The super soldier serum didn't allow Steve to age like a normal human. If you took out the time trapped in the ice, Steve was in his early sixties, but he looked much younger. He was destined to live a much longer life than a normal human. Going on without his husband was difficult, but Steve managed to keep busy. There was talk of him rejoining the Avengers. Steve needed the distraction but didn't know if he would be able to do it without Iron Man at his side.

Peter stared at the helmet a bit longer. It was part of the mark 47, which Tony had worn when Peter was in high school. Family pictures covered the mantle around the Helmet. All photos that Tony and Peter had exchanged over the years. Steve had brought the photos Tony had received when he moved in with Peter. The one from Peter's 17th birthday was turned around, Tony's note being favored over the people shown on the front. Peter knew the words by heart now, but he still found himself reading them once more tonight.

Peter yawned and headed up to his bedroom, where Michelle was waiting for him. She put her book down when he flopped onto the bed.

"Long night?" She ruffled his hair.

"Boring night," Peter huffed.

"Good. Boring nights mean you make it home alive." She laid down and pulled him into her arms.

"Are you happy, MJ?" Peter whispered.

Michelle looked up at him, "of course I am. Are you?"

Peter nodded. "I am. I am so incredibly happy."

"Good," she kissed him on the lips. Peter reached over and switched off the light on the nightstand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done. Holy shit, it's actually done!  
> I had trouble deciding which scenes to include and ended up cutting out a lot because of various reasons. This ended up turning into a general look at how Peter's life turned out. Which was not exactly what I had planned, but oh well. I'm happy with it. Sorry not sorry for kill Tony. Please don't hate me.
> 
> Also, I'm picturing Anthony's costume being something like the second Superior Spider-man one, with the black lenses and the gauntlets.  
> May's Iron Man suit is probs something like Riri's. But maybe with less yellow and more silver? 
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway!  
> I poured my heart and soul into this story, and I'm so happy right now.  
> From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for reading and for showing your support! :D


End file.
